Beginning of the Shadow
by Whispering Maiden
Summary: Logan has found a young powerful mutant in Canada.Her name is shadow and she is trying to protect a group of other young runaway mutants. Could the Insitute finally give them a home?The Shadow has a dark past, but can she leave it behind for her new home?
1. Chapter 1

The man pulled up to the small Canadian diner on a motorcycle. As he removed his helmet, the man's rugged face, deep hazel eyes, and unique hairstyle are revealed. His black leather jacket hid his well muscled figure, but one could obviously see that he was not a man to be messed with.

"'bout time I found a place." The man growled to himself. "I need a beer."

He walked into the diner and saw no other customers. Not surprising for the late hour. Just a small waitress, leaning on a mop and dozing, occupied the diner.

"'cuse me." The man cleared his throat and tried again. "Hey bub, wake up!"

His command awoke the waitress, making her fall. She looks up at him sleepily, then her eyes became wide and harsh…maybe a little fearful? She had her fists clenched and looked ready to tear his head off before coming to her senses. Picking up the mop and standing up, she brushed herself off.

"I am so sorry! I was just mopp- I was clean- I was asleep. I'm sorry." Her excuses turned to a mumbled apology. "Here, I'll get you a table."

" S'all right, I'm in no hurry." The man said.

The waitress stifled a yawn as she led the man to a booth. She took out a small note book. "What can I get you, sir?"

Only now the man realised how young the waitress was. She couldn't have been more that fifteen. She had a pixie style auburn hair, eerie but beautiful silver eyes and pale skin. She was quite small, even for her age. There were bags under her eyes and she looked like she hadn't had a real meal in days. The man took a deep breath, taking in her scent. She smelled of the diner, but with his enhanced senses he could smell who she used to be. Scents of woods, roses, and baked bread lingered underneath.

"Christ kid, bit young to be working here aren't yah? 'Specially this late." The man commented.

"I-I'm nineteen." The girl lied, avoiding the man's hazel stare.

"Uh huh. I'll have a burger and fries, and a beer." The man let her lie slide, didn't make a difference to him if this kid threw away her childhood. Probably a runaway.

"I'm sorry, we don't serve alcohol. Could I offer you some-" The girl's offer was interrupted by a large belch, followed by a man's obnoxious voice.

"The hell we don't! Stupid chick, at this time of night, who cares if we sell him some beer?" A large balding man swaggered out of the kitchen and spat at the girl's feet. "Get the man some booze!"

"We don't have a licence to sell alcohol." The tired girl's eyes filled with a fiery hate.

"Whose gonna tell? Him? He'll get his booze and shove off. Are you going to tell?" The large man shoved the petite girl, but she held her ground.

She's young, but she's a fighter, the man thought to himself.

"I think you drank it all." She glared at the man and handed him the paper with the customer's order on it.

He shoved her again, "Bitch." And wandered back off to the kitchen.

"I'm sorry about my boss. The lug starts drinking and he-" The girl stopped herself and forced a smile. "I'm sorry again. You really don't want to hear about this. Your order will be ready soon."

" 'Kay." The sullen man replied. "You know, you don't have to put up with crap like that just because he's your father." It was the only logical explanation that the girl would be working this later, underage, and put up with the arsehole.

A sadness filled the girl's eyes, but the emotion was quickly pushed aside. "That man is not my father."

The man watched the girl walk away. She sat down at the counter and pulled out some textbooks and started reading through them. She didn't look up again until the jerk called her up.

"Lard ass! Get up and do your job!" He snarled at her. "What the hell, you doing, huh? I told you I don't want you reading these things while you're suppose to be doing your job! What's the point? You don't go to school and you're too stupid to get this stuff anyway!" He tore the books out of her hands and threw them to the floor.

The boss roared with laughter as he watched her struggle to pick up her precious books. Just because she couldn't go to school didn't mean she was stupid or didn't want to learn. Just to give her a hard time, her boss kicked her while she was down. After picking up her books, she gave him a glare as she carried the order over to the customer.

"You dumb ass! You forgot to put out the wet floor signs!" The boss yelled at her.

"I'll put them out in a min-"

"NOW! YOU'LL PUT THEM OUT NOW BEFORE I GET SUED FOR YOUR STUPIDNESS!" Spit flew at the girl as the man yelled.

"Alright! I'll put out the sign-ah!" The girl was concentrating on her boss that she wasn't watching her feet. She tripped and the tray of the customer's food flew from her hand.

The man braced himself, ready to get hit by the flying food. It took him a second to realise the meal had stopped itself, in mid air.

Or rather, a young girl had stopped it.

The waitress held out her hand at level with the plate and food, but she wasn't touching it. Slowly, the meal arranged itself back on the plate and flew gracefully in front of the customer. The girl's face was frightened, as she looked at the man.

Her boss came barrelling out from behind the counter. "You stupid bitch! You clutzy little whor- what are you doing?"

His insults were stopped by the phenomenon happening before him.

The customer just looked at the girl, surprised.

"You're one of them muties, aren't yah? You freak! You freaky little bitch! You-"

"SHUT UP!" The girl screamed at her boss, her eyes watery but no tears left her eyes. "I'm sick of the way you treat me! The way you cheat, you break laws to save money, the way you treat anyone who can't give you something! You harass women and I know those sick fantasies you have about underage girl customers! YOU ARE A DISGUSTING MAN WHO SHOULD BE LOCKED AWAY! AND YOU _DARE _TO CALL ME THE FREAK?"

"You're a freak! You're fired! I'm calling the cops! They'll kill you, that's what they'll do!" The drunk roared, pulling out a small hand gun he kept in the diner in case of emergencies. Whenever he got drunk, he would keep the gun on him. It made him feel powerful.

The customer was up and about to either run away or try to take the gun away before he hurt someone; but the girl beat him to it. Raising one small pale hand, she waved it to the side, making her boss go flying into the counter. But he still held the gun. He took a shot at the young girl but the bullet was pushed aside by an invisible force when the girl flicked her hand.

"You're right about something," Her voice dangerously low, "I am a mutant. Mistress of the Mind, controller of thoughts, power beyond your belief. I can kill you in so many ways. One horrendous thought of mine and your pitiful life is over. Sure, you could call the police, but by the time you get free, I'll be long gone and you'll be burning to death."

Suddenly stools, tables, chairs, and benches from around the diner flew at the diner's owner. They weaved themselves around their owner, trapping him and covering him until only his eyes showed. His screams were muffled but still heard.

"And now for the burning." The girl whispered. Throwing up her hands, a raging inferno consumed the restaurant.

As the owner screamed, the girl grabbed the sole customer by the hand and led him out of the diner. Once in the parking lot, the customer tried to run back inside, but the girl held onto him. He was bigger and stronger than her, he could have easily escaped her grasp to get back inside the diner and help the other man, but her eyes were another thing. The silver orbs held his hazel ones, making him stop.

"He's okay, he's not going to die. The flames aren't real, just an illusion. He doesn't feel anything, he's only screaming because he has an active imagination and is too stupid to use his brain to see if he actually feels or smells flames." The mutant girl gave a sigh. "Yes, I'm a mutant. No, I don't eat children, worship the devil or plan to destroy humanity. Yes, this stupid stunt I pulled now was not the brightest idea but I stand for no other mutants when I did it. I'm sorry if you left your coat in there or something, you can go in and get it since the building is not actually on fire."

With that the girl turned to go, but the man stopped her.

"Hey, kid-"He started.

"IF YOU'RE GOING TO CALL THE POLICE, GO AHEAD! I don't care, I can take them! I've done nothing wrong, I was just born with a mutation! They can try to punish me for that, but I won't let them! They can't punish any of us." She yelled, still holding back her tears.

The man started to move closer to her, but she was already gone. High in the sky, he could make out a small figure heading south against the bright moon. Still watching her with his enhanced vision, the man pulled out an alien looking phone and dialled.

"Hey Chuck, its Logan. Yeah, I found someone of interest. Uh-huh, sure. I'll follow from a distance and contact you again soon with details. But I have a feeling this one is already coming our way."


	2. Chapter 2

About half an hour away in an old abandoned cabin a loud fight about the events of the night could be heard.

"Are you completely stupid? Do you want them to come kill us?" The boy yelled, waving his six arms frantically at me.

"It wasn't Shadow's fault! She just lost control! We all have at one point or other! So just calm yourself!" The six armed boy's sister yelled at him.

Shadow, the name I've called myself since leaving home. It suited me now I suppose. My past was an illusion to others, every time I had to leave a town I leave nothing, not even memories, like a shadow. I'd rather be the name my parents named me, but I was no longer that person. I looked around at the others in the old abandoned cabin. There were about seven of us all together, none older the age of sixteen. Me, the twins and Derik were the oldest. The twins, having six arms each, were Zach and Jenny. They were kicked out of their home by their stepfather. Derik and his seven year old sister Megan, had wings, talon like nails, and feathers on there heads instead of hair. They left home because they were afraid how the rest of their family would be treated when their small town neighbours realized what they were. Diffuse (she wouldn't tell us her real name or story) could control light and make herself invisible. She could have passed for normal if it weren't for the halo of light around her head and the fact that her skin was luminous (which came in handy while on the run and flashlights were scarce). We guessed her to be about thirteen. Greg was amphibious, able to breathe under water and swim amazingly because of the webbing between his fingers and toes. He was very strange looking, with his toad eyes, frog skin and newt, webbed, fingers; but we got used to him. It's easily to get used to ones appearances when you have to depend on them if you wish to live. He was sick of his life in the circus his parents forced him to join, so he ran away. And then there was little Leah, my garden angel. She was only six and had been through so much. She had the ability to produce food by photosensitise and grow plants at alarming rates. Her amazing gift cursed her by turning her green. Her parents had beat her and thrown her in the garbage. At this moment, she was sitting on my lap, looking up at me with her ivy green eyes. It was too late for her to be up, for any of us really, but we had some decisions to make.

We're all misfits. We all don't belong. We are all mutants.

We came together gradually after leaving our homes. Some how I had become the leader and responsible for this group. I've tried, Lord knows, I've tried to do the best for them, but it's never been enough. I've failed them and haven't been able to protect them from the world that hates them because of their mutation. We've been chased out of towns before, nearly starved on countless occasions, and been hunted by different people who hated us. Sure, we survived. But we longed to live.

This had been our longest home together, this old cabin. I got a job as a waitress and was in charge of buying necessities with my little pay. I had to do this because I was the only one of us who looked human enough to go out into society. My strange silver eyes could pass for contacts and my mutation didn't affect my appearance in any other ways. I know, I've _felt_, the jealousy and resentment from Greg and Diffuse because of my normalcy. Everyone felt just a little way about me subconsciously, except for Derik and Leah.

What really sucks about being a psychic is that you always know exactly how people think about you, even if you don't go looking.

Yes, I'm a telepath and have telekinesis. I can tell the future, sometimes, or at least have strong feelings if something good or bad is about to happen. My powers….scare me. I hear people's thoughts without trying, I move objects as large as boulders by a thought, and can make people thinking they are burning alive or some other horrible idea.

That's the problem right now.

I had blown it again for these kids. Sure, living here in this cold old cabin and barely having enough to eat each night wasn't ideal, but at least they felt safe. I put them in danger when I lost my mind and showed to humans (it scares me that I no longer think of myself as a human) my powers. They'll be hunting for me as we speak. Once again, we're on the run from the world.

"Lets think this over," Derik's calm voice brought me back. "Everyone in town knows that your boss is a drunk, so maybe they'll think that he was just hallucinating."

"Uh, that would work except I kind of tied him up with all the diner's furniture. And, uh, another person saw me." I looked down in shame.

"You've gone and doomed us." Zach moaned, holding his head with his many arms.

"We'll just have to leave, right away." Jenny stated.

"I'M TIRED OF RUNNING!" Diffuse screamed, her halo glowing so bright it hurt our eyes.

"We're all tired, but what other choice do we have?" Greg asked. Nine years old. He should be teasing girls, playing sports with friends, going fishing with his dad and eating cookies his mum made for him. Not running for his lifeé

"The Institute." Derik suggested quietly.

We all exchanged a glance. In Derik's home in Alberta, one of his friends was learned to be a mutant (this was before Derik and Megan developed their mutations). A day after, he was gone .Rumours flew that the government took him away, but Derik got an email a few mouths later talking about where he was. Something called the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. A place where mutants could learn and live in peace, and learn how to control their powers. It sounded like a dream (what I wouldn't give to have these kids in a place like that, safe!). But it was probably just that, a dream. It could be a trap to catch mutants or just a non existent place.

I've felt these kids dream of this place, but no one actually believes in it, except for Leah.

"We've been over this Derik!" Jenny gave an aggravated sigh.

"I know, I know! But Diffuse said what we're all thinking! We're sick of always running, not knowing where we'll be next or if we're ever safe. Don't you think it would be worth looking into, if the result would mean we'd have a home?" Derik coaxed.

Everyone thought this over, but said nothing. All their thoughts were being thrown at me, they were thinking so loud and so much. While I wondered how to get from Northern Ontario to New York, Leah interrupted my thoughts by pulling on my arm.

"I want to have a home." She said in her sweet voice. "Please, Shadow?"

My heartstrings were tugged, I embraced the small girl.

"I can't run away any more. I can't." Diffuse said. I could hear her trying to not cry. Diffuse never really liked me, because of my mutation not changing my appearance like hers had and how she thought I used my powers to get whatever I wanted; but still I really felt sorry for her.

"I'm in." Greg said confidently. "If this place is not real or whatever, we have to leave anyway, don't we? This way we'll just have a destination to head towards."

"I'm going wherever Derik is." Megan announced, trying to sound a lot more grown up than she was. Poor thing, forced into adult situations before her time. She trembled a little, but stopped when her older brother pulled her closer to him.

" I still think this "Institute" is a trap. Me and my sister aren't going to hand ourselves over for whatever hell they have planned for mutants." Zach snarled. "If you want to go, fine. But me and Jenny aren't that stupid."

"I'm going with them, Zach." Jenny was now standing beside me with her arms crossed.

"What? No!" Zach grabbed his twin and pulled her aside. "Jen, we have to stay together. We're all we have."

"I know. That's why I want you to come with us." Jenny said quietly, touching her brother's shoulder gently. "I don't want to run any more. I know this is dangerous, but what if this place can really help up? I'm willing to take the risk."

Zach's eyes softened. Jenny was the only one he ever gave in to. One more quick look into her eyes, and then Zach murmured. "We're both in."

"And we already know Derik's vote." I said. "You guys pack everything up, I'll try to find out if they are after us yet and figure out how to get there. Greg, Leah and Megan? I want you guys to try to doze while we work. I'm not sure when you'll be able to rest again."

"I'm not tired, and I can help pack!" Megan insisted, but I saw the bags under her eyes.

"Hey, I'm way older than those two! I don't need to sleep like a baby!" Greg said, insulted that I consider him a kid. A whole nine years of life and apparently he is ancient.

"Go to sleep Meg, I can pack your stuff. Its not like we have much." Derik told his sister. Seeing his falcon eyes, so much like her own, Megan gave in.

"Come on Leah." She took the younger girl from me and led her to the old couch we rescued from the dump for the two girls to share when we first came here.

"Uh, I'll just watch over them. You know girls, they'll probably cry or something." Greg followed them.

At this point I didn't care what excuse he used, as long as he got some sleep.

"Jenny, maybe you should get some res-" Zach started.

"If you try to put me down for a nap, I'll break an arm." Jenny threatened.

Seeing the others get to work, I went out side. I tried to focus on thoughts around the perimeter. I sensed none except for the cabin. We were still safe for a bit. Now, how would we get to New York? Maybe I could mind meddle with a trucker. Oh God I hated doing that though. Whenever I entered someone's mind, a part of their mind stayed with me. I've only been a mutant for a year and a half, and I've never met another mutant with my powers, so I had little control. Little control, lots of power.

Suddenly I sensed a mind above me, but I relaxed when I sensed the familiarity.

"Hey Derik." I called softly, looking up into the tree above me.

"So what do you really think about going to New York?" Leave it to bird boy to cut right to the chase.

"Honestly? I think it's a sham and it's going to be nearly impossible to get there. But we need to leave here, so we might as well try to put some hope in these kids. Ha, these kids. I try to sound so old. Sixteen should be nothing." I sank down, leaning against the tree. "I pray to God that this place is real and will take care of them."

"Them? You're not planning on sticking with us?" Derik jumped out of the tree, using his grand silver brown wings to slow his fall.

"I-I have plans, stuff I need to work out." I couldn't meet his eyes. If only he knew what my past was, why I had to do this. "But I'm not abandoning them or anything, I won't leave them until they're safe."

"Oh good, so you're never leaving." Derik tried to joke. Safety, what a great joke.

Derik came closer to me, taking my hand. I knew he really liked me. Not only because I was psychic but because of how he treated me. It was nice, sort of. I never had a boy like me before. But the main reason he liked me was because I was the first girl mutant that wasn't his sister he met. I guess that had a lot to do with it. I liked him too, but I couldn't be dating and frolicking about when I had these kids to look after. Distractions like falling in love were one of the few things that weren't on my to-do list.

I pulled away. "Um, a car is coming done the road." I said quietly, trying to ignore the hurt look on his face. "You go get everyone and meet me by the road. I'll work a little mind meddling and get us a ride."

With that, I flew into the night.


	3. Chapter 3

_Three months prior_

_I felt them screaming for mercy, in my head. One by one the screaming stopped, but not before their agony was pushed into my heart. They were terrified. There was nothing I could do to save them, just witness their murders through their thoughts and feelings._

_They prayed that they would live, knowing they wouldn't. I heard her saying Psalm 23 in her head._

"_The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. _

_He makes me lie down in green pastures,  
he leads me beside quiet waters, _

_he restores my soul." _

_" He guides me in paths of righteousness  
for his name's sake." _

_Even though I walk  
through the valley of the shadow of death,  
I will fear no evil,  
for you are with-_

_Then a gunshot rang out. They had killed my mother._

"_Once more I'll ask you, where is she?" The cold voice asked my father, holding a gun to his head while Dad held my mother's dead body._

"_I don't know, I don't know! Go away! Leave my family alone!" He yelled, tears leaking down his face._

_BANG! The man now shot my older sister, but she was not dead. Her pain was unbearable, she screamed and cried more. She was always the strong one, I've never seen her cry. Dad held her now. _

_This time another man shot her, this bullet killing her._

_Bang, my little brother._

_Bang, my father._

_The evil man turned to the giant, who was looking out the window. This giant man carried no gun, but he did not need one. His sharp canine teeth, his hard muscled body, his long claw like nails looked to be made of metal, proved that he needed no gun. This cat man, with his yellow eyes. This, this _beast_, just ordered my family's murders because they would not tell him where I was._

"_I-I'm sorry sir. You heard, they would not tell. I'm sure we'll find her." The man whimpered, my family's blood splattered on his shiny black boots._

"_I'm sure as well, Captain, with no help from you." With a cat's agility, the man snapped the captain's neck. Then he calmly turned to the other men who followed his orders, fear radiated through the room. "FIND HER!"_

_Present day_

I awoke with a scream. That nightmare again, if only it was just a collection of thoughts played by my subconscious while I slept other than my past. My entire family's murder, played over and over while I slept. I did not know why the Cat Man was looking for me that night or why he wanted me so bad that he would have my family murdered, but I did know that when these kids were safe, I would find him. I would kill him.

Eight pairs of eyes looked at me in shock.

"Nightmare again?" Derik asked.

"Yeah." I looked out the window. We were in a van, driving to Westchester New York with an elderly retired pair. I used my powers to convince the couple that we were their grandchildren, and they were talking us on a road trip. I know it was wrong, but it was the only way. Besides, the couple were already coming here to visits their real grandchildren when we found them at the border.

"Want to talk about it?" Derik asked. He was used to my nightmares and my screams, but he didn't know what caused them. None of them knew about my past, or my vendetta.

"No." I said stubbornly. I looked up to the front of the van. "How you guys doing?" I asked Greg, Megan and Leah, who were playing I-Spy with "Grandma Henny".

"Good!" Megan smiled back at us. My screams didn't interrupt their game.

"Yeah, except you keep cheating. Not everyone has your raptor vision, Bird Brain." Greg whined. For all his teasing, I knew he had a crush on Megan.

"Shut up, Frog Breath!" Megan squealed. Greg stuck his frog tongue out at her.

"Enough you two!" Grandma Henny smiled at her "grandchildren" lovingly. I also used my powers to make the elderly couple think mutants were completely fine.

"So where do you kids want to stop and ea- Oh my God!" Grandpa Bret swerved the car to avoid hitting a large robot's foot.

Derik and I exchanged a look. "Sentinels." We both said grimly.

Ever since we left Canada, we kept running into these giant robot mutant catchers. They are called Sentinels and are nightmares.

"Everyone out of the car!" I ordered, urging Jenny to crawl out the back of the van. I turned around to undo the lies I placed in our "grandparent's" minds to find tiny Leah hugging the two of them.

"Bye Grandma, Grandpa, it was really nice being with family that doesn't leave me for dead." She said before letting them go and get out of the car.

A moment later, we're fighting two Sentinels and the older couple is speeding away in their car, oblivious that the eight mutants they're leaving now were considered family not long ago.

"Diffuse, make Leah, Meg and yourself invisible!" I ordered. "Greg, jump in the river and STAY there until this is over! Do NOT fight with me about this!"

They did as they were told. "Okay, you guys work on that Sentinel, this one is mine. Try to lead it away from the others!"

I gave them a head start on theirs by using my telekinesis to hurl a car at the robot's head. When I turned around, I saw five more Sentinels flying towards us.

Please! Somebody help us! I sent a telepathic plea.

What I did not expect was a reply.

A man leapt at the Sentinel the others were fighting as a black jet flew towards us. Metal claws sprung from his hands and sliced the robot's head off. Then he jumped at another.

It was the man from the diner, the customer.

"Hey kid!" He yelled. "Look out!"

I flew out of the way of another Sentinel's blast, trying to now concentrate on fighting. The jet had landed and costumed people were flooding out of its open doors. A man shot lasers out of his eyes at a robot while a large blue on leapt at its face. A beautiful woman with black skin and long white hair flew high into the air and shot at one with lighting. A blue man with a tail appeared in front of one and grabbed Jenny before disappearing again. A tall one with the most extraordinary eyes, red on black, threw exploding cards at the Sentinel that Derik and Zach were now fighting.

Mutants, I thought bewildered, as I used my telekinesis to rip the head and limbs off the Sentinel that attacked me.

Before long the threat was gone. All the Sentinels were lying in broken piles around us. Diffuse reappeared with the two younger girls. The woman with the kind face who shot lightning came up to them, speaking quietly. Greg resurfaced, and the other boys were fine.

I looked around. The man with metal claws was walking towards me. "Where did that man take Jenny! I swear, if he hurt her-"

"Calm yourself, NightCrawler wouldn't hurt a fly. And that little six armed girl seemed to be able to take care of herself." He growled, lighting up a cigar.

I started to feel a little woozy.

"Hey kid, you're bleeding." The man said, pointing at my arm.

He was right. Wow, that is a lot of blood. The world started to spin. Huh, I wonder when I got cut? I thought dimly.

The older mutants started to walk towards me. Another woman, one with long red hair was exiting the jet. The closer she got, the worse I felt.

"These are the kids. I've checked over the others, and they're fine." She said, coming closer to me. "The Professor knows and wants us to return quickly- AH!"

Suddenly the pain was unbearable, we both collapsed.


	4. Chapter 4

* The X-men and their world belong to Marvel, not me. Please review!

When I awoke, I looked to be in a hospital. I felt awful and there was this annoying buzzing in my head. As I had for the last two and a half months since finding Leah and the twins, I felt a sense of panic. Where were the kids? Were they all right? What was going on?

"She is avake, Jean!" A rich German accented voice made my head turn. I found the blue skinned, yellowed eyed man with the tail that had grabbed Jenny. His tail was wrapped and had a splint. "Good morning fräulein!"

I jumped out of my bed only to fall to the floor, my legs were so stiff! I scurried back from the man, confused. I felt someone walking towards me.

"Its alright! Honey, you're safe, everything is fine!" The red headed woman came up to me, kneeling in front of me. Again her closeness hurt my head, but not to the same point as before. "Kurt, will you go to the Professor? Tell him that she's awake."

"Right away." The blue man she called Kurt disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"W-where are the others? Are they okay?" I stuttered. The woman helped me back into my bed.

"They are fine, better than they have in months." She soothed. "But how are you?"

"M-my head hurts." I stuttered. I had a stutter since I was a child, but around grade six it disappeared. After the death of my family, it had resurfaced.

"Hmm, strange, so does mine." The lady frowned slightly. Then smiled and offered her hand. "I'm Dr. Jean Grey, I've been looking after you and your friends. I'm a mutant, like you."

Dr. Grey gave me another smile. I saw a flash of fire in her eyes and suddenly utensils and instruments from around the room were lifted up into the air. The woman using her powers made my head hurt a little more. She was telekinetic, like me.

So does this mean I can trust her?

"Dear, do you remember me? From after the Sentinel attack?" Dr. Grey asked softly.

"Y-yeah. You came out of that jet, and I got this horrible pain in my head. Then," I thought hard, but all I could remember was darkness. "Then I was here. Um, where is here?"

"You and your friends are in the Xavier Institute. You're safe here." Dr. Grey said patiently.

"What happened? How did we get here?" Now Dr. Grey was checking my blood pressure.

"After the fight, we were both knocked out. The X-Men, the group of mutants who fought the Sentinels with you, took you and your friends here to the Institute. Your friends have all been enrolled in the school and have been assigned rooms. They told us all you've been through." She gave me a sad look, one full of pity.

"We were knocked out? How?" I asked.

"We, meaning Professor Xavier and I, have a few theories. But we're not really sure. This was the first time you met another psychic, isn't it?" I nodded and she continued. "Well, sometimes the first time a young psychic comes near another; they experience a little pain in their head. Though we've never heard of it being strong enough to knock out the mutant or to even affect the other psychic."

As I thought that over, Dr. Grey continued. "Shadow, I'd like to do some tests." She knew my name, I guess the others had told her. "A few to check you psychic aura, how powerful you are. Professor Xavier would usually do this sort of thing, but because of how you were affected by my aura and how you are still being affected, we decided to keep distance between the two of you for now."

With that we started her "tests". Lifting different weighted objects with my mind and making them do different actions, showing how long I could hold up objects, and how far I could throw them. I showed her how I could fly. I thought I was doing really well, but Jean kept frowning whenever she thought I wasn't looking.

"Um, am I doing these wrong or something?" I asked nervously. I never met another mutant with my powers before so I didn't know what level I was. I was afraid that I was way behind the others and that's why she was frowning.

"Hmm? Oh, no, you're doing really well. Maybe just a little too well." I stared at her, waiting for her to continue. "You're way above the average adult telekinetic, and your control is very good."

I got a sense that she doubted what I said about not meeting another like me. But I didn't tell her again. I really didn't know much about this school and I wasn't sure if being too powerful was a good thing.

"Well, that's it for the telekinesis tests, lets move on to your telepathy." Dr. Grey said.

"Um, well I can feel people's emotions without trying. And I can make illusions." I started.

"All ready?" I saw and sensed fear in her. Was that the wrong thing to say? "Well, that's, that's really good. Now about mind reading and communicating telepathically-"

I interrupted her. "Oh, I don't like doing those things." I blushed when she looked at me. "That sort of stuff, well, it messes with my mind. I can do it, but I think I over do it. If I just try to find out whether someone is lying, I usually get their entire childhood. And once I go into someone's mind, I take a bit of it with me. Or rather a copy of it. I have their mind with mine and its awful."

Grey gave me a sympathetic look. "I know the voices around you can be unbearable sometimes, and I don't want you to have more in you mind than you have to. But I really need to know your level. Its for your safety and the other students in the school. It will also help us to know how to teach you control."

Kurt had teleported back into the room. He gave me a smile and a thumbs up. Despite his demon like appearance, he seemed nice. I guess it was because I was a mutant and the kids I've been living with and looking after looked different from other people that made me not really afraid of his appearance. Now that man, the customer from the diner entered the room through sliding doors. Though he looked normal, he did scare me a little. I saw how those metal claws sprung from his hands. I know we can not control what our mutations are, but his scared me. From the diner, I sensed his pain but no wounds. He hurts but does not know why. When we were fighting the Sentinels, I could feel an animal inside of him, loving every minute of the fight.

"Yah alright, kid?" The man asked roughly.

"Y-yes, I'm fine." I stuttered.

"Logan, considering adding an addition to your adopted litter?" Dr. Grey teased. Logan snorted and walked over to talk with Kurt.

"Logan has this reputation of being a tough rebel guy." Grey told me quietly. "But he has a soft spot for teenage girls. Nothing inappropriate, he just gets very protective over them. He's become kind of like a father figure for some of the girls here, when their own fathers aren't. And with his codename, Wolverine, we call his girls his "litter"."

"I have enhanced hearing Red, it doesn't how quietly you talk I can hear you." Logan called from across the room. "Stop telling the kid that garbage."

Though he pretended that he didn't like her talking about him this way, with his reputation and all, I knew otherwise. He was immensely proud and protective of his "litter". These girls that he looks out for, they need him. Most don't have fathers who are there for them because of their mutation, so he is. He pushes them to do their best, be's there for them, takes them out for diner or other treats when they did well or just need to get away, and protects them. Suddenly I sensed that was right, I was a new member to the "litter". But why? We really didn't know each other. Curious, I put down my shields a teensy bit to learn why.

Apparently it was too much. A flash of nonsense flew into my mind. I got a memory of when we first met, at the diner and a wave of pity for the poor girl being abused by her boss. The way that she fought to keep her dignity, no matter how many times he knocked her down emotionally and physically. He respected the fighter that she was. Another memory. The girl flying away. Calling someone to tell about her. Following her back to an old cabi-

"You were following me?" I accused, pulling myself back from his mind.

Logan shared a look with Dr, Grey before answering. "Yeah." With that he patted the blue man on the shoulder and left the room.

"Did you read his mind?" Dr. Grey asked.

I looked down, ashamed. I've been using the power for so long, knowing it was wrong to go into other people's minds. Then I did it to keep others safe, but now I shouldn't do it now that we were all "safe". "I shouldn't have done that. I'm so sorry, I was thinking."

"It's all right, we all lose control sometimes." She gave me a forced smile. "I was just surprised that you could make out anything when reading his mind. Most young mutants just get flashes so quick that they can't make any sense of it. And at the Xavier Institute, we do have policies about reading only willing minds. Just a warning."

I couldn't meet her green eyes, I was still too ashamed.

"Logan was just following you because he was worried. He saw how you were treated at that diner and how saw how tired and under fed you were." Grey explained, thinking I was upset by being followed. "When he learned you were a mutant, he called Professor Xavier and got permission to follow and look after you. He was just looking out for you and the other children. He saw how you protected the others, but thought you could use some protection yourself."

So the "wolverine" had a soft side for pity cases and damsels in distress. Well, that was fine. I didn't need anyone to look after me. I didn't need anyone. I shouldn't even get close to anyone until I avenged my family.

"Shadow, I can see that you're tired. I think we can wait to do the telepath tests later on." Dr. Grey said kindly. "How about I show you to your new room? Unless you rather stay in the Med Bay a few more days?"

I smiled gratefully to her (at least I get to propone having my mind messed up!). "Actually, I'd really like to get out of here. I'm not too fond of hospitals."

Dr. Grey led me out of the Med Bay and into an elevator. This school must be monstrous! I thought to myself. We went up seven levels just to reach the ground floor. Dr. Grey told me that she would send up some forms to choose my classes. She had already enrolled me in her class for telepaths, so that took up on space. She pointed out where I can go to eat and when meals are.

She was telling me about what courses the school provided as we got into the elevator. I was listening intently when suddenly I let out a yell. A head was poking through the elevator doors.

"Kitty, mind that you don't phase through anything that will break the elevator." Dr. Grey said sternly as a body of a girl followed the head into the elevator. The girl had friendly brown eyes and a ponytail of brown hair. She was a little taller than me but looked to be my age. She smiled friendly at me before answering.

"No prob, Professor!" She said cheerfully. "I've been practicing."

To me she said. "I had to learn that one, the guys never hold the elevator for me. Hi, I'm Kitty Pryde, who are you?"

"Kitty, this is your new roommate, Shadow." The professor introduced.

"New roommate! Cool!" With that Kitty gave me a hug and another huge smile. The girl is certainly friendly enough, I thought. I offered her a timid smile.

She laughed pleasantly, "You're a little shy, aren't you? Well, don't worry, I can usually talk enough for the both of us."

The elevator stopped six stories about the ground floor. Kitty didn't wait for the doors, just walked through them. I watched her in amazement.

"Kitty can phase through objects." Professor Grey explained as we followed her through the now open doors.

"Cool." Was all I could think of to say.

Kitty bounced up and down impatiently in front of a door at the end of the corridor. When the teacher and I got to the door, Kitty didn't bother waiting for Jean Grey to get out a key and open the door, she just grabbed the two of us and phased us through the wooden door. It was extremely weird sensation. She laughed at the look on my face. "It's a good thing I have this mutation, I'm too impatient and I lose keys easily."

It was a medium sized room, but it seemed smaller because of all the furniture. The room contained three twin sized beds, three wardrobes, two writing desks and a dresser with a large mirror. Over one bed with a hot pink comforter (and so many stuffed animals!) was posters of popular bands and movies, and lots of pictures of people. With a closer look, I guessed that to be Kitty's bed, because she was in most of the pictures.

She must be a popular girl, I thought, seeing her in pictures with large groups of friends. And why shouldn't she be? She's friendly and seems nice enough. And from all those science awards, I glanced over the plaques and certificates on her bedside stand, she's very smart too.

The other bed had a comforter with black and white flowers on it. There were pictures of people around this bed too, but there were less. A small bookshelf stood beside this girl's bed was crammed full of promising looking books. I stared at them hungrily, it had been so long since I was able to just sit down and read a new book. While on the run for your life, you don't really have the time to get into a good book or have the money to buy one. And while in bad times, that's when I needed to get lost in a story the most. Maybe this other roommate would lend me some.

The last bed had a plain faded yellow comforter. The bedside table had a lamp on it but nothing else. There were no posters, pictures, stuffed animals, books, or anything personal. Leaning against the bed was my ragged schoolbag, the one that held my few possessions while I was homeless.

I went over and sat on my bed. I took a crumpled picture of my family (a small item to remind me of better times) and leaned it against the lamp. Home sweet home, I thought sadly.

"Shadow," Professor Grey said, walking over to my bed. "the school has a budget for students that need new clothing. I already took the other children that came here with you shopping, so they are set. But we can taking you out tonight, if you're feeling up to it, to buy you some clothing."

I only had what I had on, my uniform from the diner and another shirt in my bag. The other clothing I salvaged went to Megan and Diffuse. Though we had a system of giving clothes to small for us to the next younger kid, I had given them my clothing before I outgrew them. They were sensitive about their appearance, and I thought that if they had more clothing they could feel more…human.

"Oh, can I come too? Please? I can help pick out some cool clothing. Rogue and Jubes will want to come too." Kitty begged.

"Rogue has a session with Professor Xavier tonight. And it will be difficult for the teacher taking her out to look after all of you." Jean said.

"But me and Jubes can help pick out clothing!" Kitty coaxed enthusiastically. "It could help Shadow get to know knew people."

"Well," I could see Jean start to cave. "its, really up to Shadow…"

I nodded and said quietly. "Could they come, professor? Please?"

Kitty beamed at me.

"I guess I could get Storm to help me supervise." Jean sighed. "But don't you or Jubilee try to get us to buy anything for you two. You both have enough clothing. This shopping trip is just to get Shadow what she needs. I'll go ask Storm now. Kitty, why don't you show Shadow around? Meet me in front of the school at three."

After she left, Kitty came over and sat beside me on the bed. She gave me a mischievous grin. "Thanks Shadow for letting us come along. Its always a treat to get out of the school. And she always says no new clothes for Jubes and me, we always get something. Come on, I'll give you a quick tour. The others are still in class, but I got a cancelled class, so we can look around without being run over by the others."

Kitty took my arm and once again pulled me through the door. I was glad I had a new friend, but I still couldn't help but worry about the kids who I looked after all these months. And whether I should accept clothing and help from these people, when I just planned on leaving them as soon as I could.

**Please review! **


	5. Chapter 5

*Sorry, that last chapter was pretty weak and boring hope I can do better on this one! X-Men and their world belong to Marvel

Kitty was right, our supervisors/teachers gave in and bought the other two girls clothing as well. Jubilee and Kitty proudly walked into the mansion, each carrying a bag, while I struggled under my nine bags.

Scott Summers, Cyclops came up behind me. He was one of the X-Men that fought the Sentinels with me. He could shoot lasers out of his eyes. Jean had asked him to come with us to supervise (the other teacher, Storm, had been too busy with marking to come). Over our shopping trip, I learned what a stiff he was. He was very formal and withdrawn from the students, and Kitty told me how strict he was about rules. Jean was the only one he seemed to loosen up around, and I felt how much he cared about her.

"Would you like some help carrying those?" Summers asked me.

"I'd love some help! Thanks Prof!" Jubilee quipped, shoving her one bag into her shocked teacher's hands. Me and Kitty giggled at the look on our stiff teacher's face.

Jubilee is always doing things like that. She dresses loudly and speaks even louder. I've noticed how she doesn't really monitor what she says, just blurts everything out. She can be rude, and a little whiney, but I don't mind her. She is friendly enough with me and can be pretty funny.

"Um, I think I've got this Professor Summers." I said, still smiling at my new friend's goofiness. After saying that, I lost my grip and my bags crashed to the floor. I grinned sheepishly at Scott while my "friends" snickered at my misfortune.

"You sure you don't want a hand?" He asked again, his voice patronizing.

Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you? I thought. I never did like have men do these kind of things for me. Carrying my stuff, fixing things for me, giving advice that I obviously know. My mum said it was because I was a farm girl.

"I've got it." I said confidently. With that, I concentrated on my shopping bags, using my mutant powers to lift them up. I picked up two bags, one in each arm. I smiled at him, trying not to gloat. "Thank you for the shopping trip." And with that I followed my laughing friends up the stairs to our rooms. My shopping bags following us.

"Ah, Scott Summers." Jubilee sighed as we stood outside Kitty's and my room. "He's hot, he has a cool power, he has an awesome car and bike, good fashion sense, but he's living with a stick up his ass."

Kitty giggled, phasing the three of us into the room. Once inside, I opened the door to let the rest of my purchases in.

"Yeah, a stick called Wolverine." Kitty agreed.

"Actually, he was a stiff before the beast came to the school." Jubilee said. "Hey Rogue, waz up girl?"

Jubilee's greeting drew my attention to an unfamiliar girl on the last bed. She was laying upside down on her bed, reading a book. Seeing the other girls enter her room she closed her book and sat up. She was taller than me with a thin figure. She had amber eyes, enhanced by her choice of make up. Her hair was about shoulder length and a pretty shade of brown. Two thick strands of white hair framed her oval face. Her clothing wasn't out of the ordinary, except for a pair of white gloves that came up to her elbows.

"Just got back from mah session with the Professor," Rogue's voice was pleasant to listen to, and had a Southern States accent. "and felt like doing a little reading. How was the shopping trip?"

Jubilee flung herself onto the bed beside Rogue. Rogue reacted by pulling up her gloves as high as they would go and scooted a little away from Jubilee. Does she not like her? I wondered.

Jubilee didn't notice the other girl's reaction, just answered the question. "Amazing. How could a shopping trip be anything but? Though we would have had a better time if "stick up his ass" Summers wasn't being so cheap."

"He was just thinking of the school's budget. Besides, Shadow got what she needed and we got a few things too." Kitty defended, now sitting on her own bed. "Rogue, this is our new roommate, Shadow."

"Hi." I said shyly.

"How ya'll do'n?" Rogue asked. I offered her my hand, but she just stared at it. About to withdraw my hand, Rogue once again adjusted her gloves and gave my hand a brief shake.

Well, that was sort of weird, I though.

"Rogue's ability is to absorb memories, abilities and psyches of other people when she touches their skin. Its weird, apparently she sucked the brains out of her old boyfriend or something before she came here." Jubilee told me.

"Jubilee!" Kitty glared at her friend. "Seriously, you've got to learn when to keep your mouth shut. I'm sorry Rogue."

Rogue went pale and got up to leave. "It happened, can't pretend it didn't. At least now Shadow knows not to get close to meh. Ah'm going to go see Bobby, see ya'll at dinner." Rogue mumbled before escaping out the door.

"What?" Jubilee asked us innocently as Kitty glared at her. "Just giving the new gal some background info. And Rogue said it herself, now she knows so the same thing won't happen to her."

"Jubes, you can be such a dunce sometimes!" This was the first time I saw Kitty mad.

"What is the big deal? Telling someone about someone's powers isn't a crime! Shadow, my mutation lets me produce fireworks. See? No big deal." Jubilee said defensively. Kitty continued to glare. "I'll make it up to Rogue later."

"You'd better go now. If you don't, than it will be all awkward at dinner with the two of you." Kitty suggested.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going. Catch yah later chicka." She gave me a little wave before leaving the room.

"I am going to strangle her one day, I swear." Kitty grumbled. Then she gave me a smile. "Here, I'll help you put your new clothing away."

Half way through unpacking, I fell asleep in my clothing. Kitty didn't feel the need to wake me up for diner or the classes the next morning. It really didn't matter because I wasn't enrolled in any classes yet, but by eleven the next day I was famished. At twelve Kitty came up to our room.

"I'm beginning to think you power is too sleep forever." She teased lamely. "Come on, lets go get some lunch."

We met up with Jubilee and Rogue on the way down to the cafeteria. Kitty had invited me to eat lunch with her friends and I had accepted. I felt a little guilty, knowing that I should be eating with the kids, but I couldn't help but want to meet new people.

"Hey guys, this is Shadow." Kitty introduced me once we had trays of food. I looked around the cafeteria table and smiled shyly at Kitty's friends. One by one, she introduced me. There were so many of them that I had to just take brief mental notes of them.

"That's John, he can control fire. That's Sam, he can become a human cannonball. That ones Bobby, he can produce ice and is Rogue's boyfriend. That's Paige, Sam's little sister. Robert, his power's pretty cool, he is like solar powered. Rahne is a wolf girl, sort of like a werewolf but don't mention anything about Twilight causes she a little touchy about that." Kitty said, names and faces being pointed out to me. "And this is Piotr, or Peter."

A new boy came up to our table. And he was the most gorgeous person I've ever seen. He had thick black hair, crystal blue eyes, perfect complexion, a face as though carved by angels. He was huge. Standing about seven feet and had vast muscles everywhere.

"Hello." He said shyly, looking down at me. His voice had a Russian accent.

"Hi." I said equally shy. He looked like a model.

"Peter is from Russia." Jubilee told me loudly from across the table. "Our own gorgeous, foreign, giant puppy. He still doesn't know his own strength. But he's completely single if you wanted to try him, Shadow."

Peter and me blushed furiously while the others laughed at our expense. Trying to be cool and ignore Jubilee's silly remark, Peter sat down on the bench. A little too hard. Him sitting down caused Sam and Robert (who were sitting on the other end of the bench) to go flying. Robert landed by the lunch line but Sam land was not as fortunate. He landed on Scott Summers's lap.

Poitr blushed harder and went to go help the other boys and apologize.

Everyone started laughing their heads off. Paige excused herself to go laugh at her brother. Kitty snorted milk through her nose which just made Rogue and Jubilee laugh harder. Jubilee leaned on Rogue for support, barely able to breathe. Rogue gave her a friendly slap on the arm, trying to get her friend to control herself.

"Whoa! Watch it Rogue!" Jubilee practically pushed everyone off the bench, trying to escape Rogue's touch.

The laughing stopped immediately.

"Ah'm wearing mah gloves Jube, Ah can't hurt yah." Rogue said quietly.

I saw the sad look on Rouge's face, the way she pulled her gloves up more and tried to make more space between them. I could feel her sadness and loneliness inside my mind. I could also feel Jubilee's guilt. She didn't want to hurt Rogue's feelings, but she didn't want to have her mind, powers and privacy taken by Rogue either. Or the physical pain of touching that dangerous skin.

The rest of the group slowly began to talk to each other again, the volume increasing with time. Jubilee started a loud conversation with the pyro kid, John, and wouldn't look at Rogue. Robert, Sam and Paige came back to the table, bringing a still blushing Poitr with them. Poitr tried to hide his face, keeping it down while he ate, but his friends still teased him. Bobby talked quietly to Rogue, trying to comfort her and get her mind off what had happened, but it wasn't working.

I didn't take part in the conversation, my mind was busily working out a plan that would help Rogue.


	6. Chapter 6

A Shadow's Proposition

* X-Men and their world belong to Marvel

Please review!

Everyone finished their lunch and prepared to go back to their rooms to get their supplies for their next class. Well the others chatted amongst themselves, I worked up the nerve to talk to Rogue. As we entered the hallway, I decided this was the best time to try and talk to her.

"Uh, Rogue? C-can I talk to you a minute?" I asked hesitantly. Unless I have to be defensive or I known the person for years, I can be quite shy. She was older than me and I had no idea of how she would react to my offer. This could get awkward. "Please?"

She gave me a puzzled look before answering. "Um, sure, why not? I'll talk to y' guys later." She told her friends.

Jubilee looked at me hungrily; from the little time I spent at the mansion I already knew that she was the school's gossip queen.

My uncertainty must have showed on my face. Poitr, the giant from Serbia, gave me a encouraging smile and dragged his classmate away from us. I gave him a grateful smile before turning back to Rogue.

"Wait, no! Just give me a minute with them Petey! Aw, come on!" I heard Jubilee's protests as she was dragged away. The others left us without being psychically removed by the giant, but they gave us curious looks as they walked on.

"So, uh, what did y' want to talk about?" Rogue leaned up against the wall. Even leaning the older girl's height was well above mine.

"I-I want to help you." I stammered.

"You help meh?" Rogue couldn't keep her surprise (or her doubt) from her voice. I could understand that. She didn't know me, I was just the new charity case, mutant of the school.

"I-I," I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "I know about your mutation and-"

I stopped, seeing the dark look she now had on her face. I could feel her start to get defensive, in my head. I could also feel her sadness.

"Uh-huh, and?"

"Like I said, I want to help you. And, and I really think I can do it." I tried to sound more confident.

"Y're a psychic, right? Like the professor." I could feel her anger. "So what? Y'll just root around mah head so that Ah won't want to touch other people? Make meh think that its normal to not have physical contact? Make me forgot what happened to my first boyfriend?"

"No! That wouldn't solve anything! I can help you by-"

"Listen, Ah don't know how much y' know about this place yet, or how much y' know

about y're own powers. But both the Professor and Ms. Grey have tried to help meh learn how to control mah powers and the voices in mah head. Y' can't help meh."

She started to turn away, so I grabbed her arm. Her bare arm.

"W-what are y' doing! Are y' crazy?" She screamed, yanking her arm out of my grasp.

"Rogue, I touched your bare skin." I said calmly.

She looked even more shocked. It took her a moment to realise that I hadn't been affected by her powers and she didn't have me swimming around her head like all the other people she ever touched. She slipped down to the floor. I too sat down, but gave her space.

"How did y' do that?" She whispered.

"You're right, I am a psychic. I don't really do the "rooting around in the mind" sort of thing, if I can help it. We're sort off the same in that perspective. When I do go into someone's mind, I have a piece of them in mine for the rest of my life. I know what it feels like to have other people's thoughts and memories screaming at you and you're defenceless against it." I said quietly.

"Then, how, how did y'-" She stuttered, looking at me in amazement.

"I can do shields." I explained. "Shields as thin as a hair. You see, at my old school we were doing this play, and there was this fighting scene. The main character, he was an awesome actor but was really crappy at stage fighting. He kept hitting the other actor or missing so far off that the scene looked bad. So, I came up with an idea. I had done shields before, mostly accidently, but I thought if I could create a shield thin enough that would protect the other actor but still make the scene look believable. It took four months, but eventually I got it."

"But, but Ah _felt _yah!" Rogue exclaimed.

"Yeah, that happens." I said. "The shield is non-existent, or rather, made up of psychic material. It is so thin that the other person thinks that they are making physical contact and I made the shield feel like human skin."

I paused, letting my words sink in before continuing. "Rogue, I know you can't control your powers. And I don't think I could help you learn to control them like Jean or Professor Xavier, but, if you want me to, I can make this shield for you. You could touch people, sort of."

"Yah, yah can really do that?" She inched closer to me.

"It will take some work, to make the shield stay while we're not close together. And I won't be able to cover all of you at first. Maybe your face and arms, or if you wanted to wear some clothing that reveals a little more. But I'm willing to try if you are."

"Ah could touch him…" Rogue said to herself, amazement shinning on her face. Her face soon turned mistrustful again. "If yah can do this, why haven't the professor or Jean tried this before? They are supposed to be the most powerful psychics on the planet! Yah're just a little girl, how could yah do something they can't"

"I don't know Rogue, maybe it just never came to their minds that the shield was an answer before?" She gave me a look. I knew that couldn't possibly be true, both were professionals and knew way more about mutants then I did. "Okay, I know that is a totally bullshit answer, but I can do this Rogue. Trust me."

Her green eyes met my silver ones, she gave a small nod.

"Great, we'll meet in our room after classes and we can start experimenting with the shield. Maybe you could ask Bobby to come along, if you want to have someone to test the shield on."

Rogue looked slightly confused. "Bobby?"

A sudden flash of a tall, muscled, man with auburn coloured hair entered my mind. A smile, such a beautiful smile. Red on black eyes. A Cajun accent. Memories of the man flew into my mind, memories that were not mine. An emotion so strong it made me weak. I was in love with this man.

"Yah alright, sugah?" Rogue's voice brought me back.

"Uh, uh," I stammered, trying to clear my head. It had happened again! This damn mutation did this to me again! "Yeah, I'm alright. Just tired I guess."

"Will y' be too tired to try the shield this afternoon, then?" The look she gave me was so sad, it made me promise that I would be fine by then and could still try the shield.

"Alright then." Rogue beamed at me. "Ah'd better head on to class, Storm is probably ready to kill me already. Fourth time late for history. Thank you so much-uh,"

"My name is Shadow." I supplied. I had almost told her my real name, the one my parents christened me with. I guess that mind connection we had a little while ago made let my guard down alittle.

Rogue gave an embarrassed smile and a wave as she hurried off to her class. I leaned against the wall and shut my eyes. Why can't I just be my own person? Why can't I just have my own mind and memories? Poor Rogue, she has to deal with the same thing. I just hope I can help her.

Who was that person she really loves? The one she cares so strongly for that vision to be slammed into my brain? I really have to work harder on my blocking, or else I'm sure to go mad.

My psychic powers alerted me of another presence in the hall, I turned to see Logan leaning against the wall, watching me.

"How long have you been there?" I asked quietly.

"Long enough. So you really think you can help Rogue, huh? You know, Chuck and Jean have been working with her for a very long time, what makes you think you can help her when they can't?" His gruff voice asked.

"I don't know why they haven't tried the shield." I stood my ground. I wasn't scared of the Wolverine like all the other students. "I know they're supposed to be the most powerful, but if they are, why haven't they done this shield? Why have they let her suffer!"

"I don't know any more than you do, kid. I just don't want you to get Rogue's hopes up only to have them crash down again. And I don't want you to hurt yourself; don't push yourself so far that you put everything you've got into something that just can't happen. If Chuck and Jean haven't tried this shield thing, than neither should you."

"Maybe they haven't because they can't do it." I muttered, forgetting about Wolverine's enhanced senses. "I have to go to the Med Bay, Dr. Grey wants some guy called Hank McCoy to look over me."

I left the Wolverine, hurrying off to the elevator to go down to the school's lower levels. I hate having to go to doctor's appointments and anything that resembles a hospital, but right now hating a check up would be easier to deal with than the thought of how much power I had. And if I could control it.

***Please Review!***


	7. Chapter 7

* X-men and their world belongs to Marvel

Please review!

My appointment with the school's two doctors took up about two hours. Dr. Hank McCoy wished for me to retake my psychic tests, this time including a few telepath tests.

Reluctant to do so, but I still did as I was told. That is why I had to leave the Med Bay with the giant blue genius's mind keeping mine company. Again my power scared the two doctors, but they tried to hide their fear. Too bad for me, I couldn't be fooled by there fake smiles. I felt and heard every fear they had about me.

I should have been exploring the school, learning the ropes of the place but instead I sat in my room for the rest of the day, holding my knees to my chest and thinking. I hardly noticed that the room was getting darker or what the time was. All I could think of what was wrong with me. I can't have powers that Professor Xavier and Jean Grey, the most powerful psychics on the planet, didn't possess. I knew they expected me to have a lot of power, but not that I'd be more powerful. It wasn't only my amount of power that scared me (but, yeah, that was a HUGE part of it), but the thought that they might not be able to help me. If I'm more powerful, how can they teach me? How can they make sure I don't become some villain? What-

A loud knock came from my door, jerking me out of my thoughts.

"C-come in." I called. I really wasn't in the mood for company, but it was probably Logan coming to bring me to the Med Bay again (I liked the two kind doctors, but I didn't want to be poked and prodded by them any more). Or Rogue. I had expected her about an hour or two ago.

What I hadn't expected was the giant Russian, Peter.

He opened my door and smiled at me shyly.

"Good evening Shadow," He greeted me, his voice deep and quiet.

"Oh, hi." I was still a little confused about his visit. "Would you like to come in and sit down? I've just been, uh-moping." I grinned sheepishly.

"Well, I just came up to ask you, uh, to ask you if you wanted to come to dinner with me?" His face went a little red. So giants got shy too, huh? "Uh, I had to help Logan with something, so I was late for dinner and everyone else ate. Kitya mentioned that you've been in your room since lunch and might want to eat with someone. There is only an hour left until the stop serving dinner."

"I'd like to Peter, but I promised Rogue I would," I stopped myself. I wasn't sure if Rogue had told her friends yet, and I didn't feel right doing it. She should tell them when she's ready. "I promised her I would help her with something. I'm just not sure when she's coming over to work on it."

"Dah, Rogue told me before class to say to you that she has to cram for a math test tomorrow with Jubilee and will not be able to try the shields tonight. But if you just rather not eat with me, I will not force you." Peter started to turn away but I stopped him by the arm.

"I'll be ready to come down in a minute, just have to grab my shoes." I dove for my sneakers and my key. "Okay, good to go."

Peter smiled down at me as we walked towards the stairs. "So how do you like the school so far?"

"Its interesting, and its nice to feel safe. It takes a lot of getting used to though." I admitted.

Peter nodded. "The first time I heard the X-Jet start up, I flipped out. Turned into Colossus and broke down my door." Again he blushed. "I got quite some teasing after that."

I laughed. "It's so weird, living with superheroes. Every so often having a cancelled class because your teacher has to save the world or seeing them on TV, kicking ass. Half the school wants to be an X-Man."

"And living with so many mutants, all in the same position as we are is strange. Back home on the collective farm I lived on, I and my brother were the only mutants. And now everywhere I turn, there is a kid flying or shooting sparks out of their eyes." Peter contributed.

"So you're a farm kid too, huh? Nice! Well, my home town was pretty small. There were maybe three mutant kids, including me." I said as we went into the dining room. There were a few students still in here, but most had eaten an hour before with Peter's friends. We went to the lunch line where an older woman with a friendly smile served us chicken and vegetables, and a small slice of apple pie.

"What about your family? Are you the only mutant?" Peter asked as we sat down at table with a view of Storm's garden.

I felt a deep pain in my chest and looked down.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't realise. I should have been more sensitive." Peter panicked a little at my reaction, and his steel armour started forming on his muscled arms. "Most kids here left on bad terms with their parents because of their mutation, but I still ask stupid questions. I'm sorry."

"It wasn't like that, my parents didn't know." I said quietly. I know if they had known, they still would have loved me. Same with my siblings.

We sat their in awkward silence. I didn't know how much the other students knew about me. In this school, the walls have ears. Or rather, kids with super hearing, telepaths, kids that can become invisible, and one loud mouth gossip queen that can shoot fireworks. Eventually, everyone would know, but this is my first week and I didn't want people to know too much about me just yet. Besides, I was hoping to be gone soon. Revenge and all that.

"So Rogue told me about your idea to make a shield during art class, do you really think it will work?" Peter asked timidly, not trying to make me even more withdrawn.

I was glad for the change of subject. Actually, I also realized how glad I was not to be upset with Peter. The more we talked, the more I liked him. His sensitive nature, his kind smile, his blush. He was shy, but he could open up and be funny. After I explained my idea to help Rogue, he told me more about his life in Russia and his family. He told me about the other students, they're personalities and powers. Past stories about the X-Men saving the world, and the mischief he and his friends had gotten into. Finally the cafe ladies kicked us out of the dining area, so we went for a walk around the grounds.

"So we came up with a plan to get the others back." Peter told me as we walked around the grounds, close to the forest. "Bobby pretended to lose control of his powers and completely froze me. While he distracted Jubilee and John by shooting some ice into the air, Kitty phased me out, making a shell. The others that I was frozen for days!"

We laughed together hysterically. I actually lost my breath and started wheezing, with my eyes watering. I sat on the ground trying to get control over myself. Peter bent down to see if I was okay, making me look up at him. Suddenly, my breath was lost for another reason. His beautiful blue eyes held my silver ones. Slowly he moved closer, putting a giant but gentle hand behind my head, tilting it up.

Millimetres away from kissing me, Peter was hit from behind, making him fall onto me.

"Agh!" He yelled, trying to regain his balance but failing. He fell onto me, nearly crushing me. He blushed furiously as he tried to retain whatever dignity we had left and got off me. As soon as he was off, he took his metal form, ready for a fight from the Brotherhood or his stupid friends.

I saw Derik flying above us, giving Peter a look of pure hatred. Seeing me looking at him, he quickly flew away.

"Its alright Peter, it was just Derik. He's gone now." I took his arm, and made him look at me. Seeing my eyes, Peter went back to his skin form, still blushing furiously.

"I am so sorry! I didn't mean to, to-" Peter coughed and went redder still. "What was that guy's problem?"

"Oh, I don't know." I said, not meeting his eyes. "Derik was one of the kids I was traveling with. We were sort of close, being the oldest we had to work together a lot. We saved each others lives a few times."

"So you were involved?" Peter asked innocently. His blue eyes looked sad.

"Uh, no." I got up from the ground and started walking back to the school, Peter followed. "He, um, had a crush on me. But it was mostly because of how much we depended on each other and how I was the first girl mutant he met. We really haven't talked at all since we arrived here. I thought he'd get over it, but apparently not."

"I can understand having a crush on you and not getting over it." Peter said. Realizing what he said, he once again turned bright red. "Uh, I really don't mean to sound so…"

Peter was saved by the sight of Professor Grey and Professor Summers making out on the stone bench ahead of us. They were deeply involved in what they were doing and didn't see us, but suddenly Jean pulled away and clutched her head. She looked around and saw the two of us and blushed. She pointed us out to Scott. Suddenly, my head was aching too. I backed away.

"Don't be embarrassed, us students are always finding those two making out. Grossed out maybe…" Peter said falling into step beside me again. "I wonder what was wrong with Dr. Grey."

"Well, when I get near other psychics, I hurt them for some reason. And vice versa. Its not so bad now, but the first time I met another psychic, we both were knocked out from the pain." I explained. "I don't really know why it happens. You've been here longer than I have, do most psychic mutant kids have this problem?"

"No, I don't think so." Peter frowned slightly, thinking. "Have you talked to the Professor yet? He knows the most about this sort of thing."

"No, I haven't." I shook my head. "Jean said he's trying to find a way for us to speak to each other with out putting us both in a coma. This whole psychic thing sucks."

"I'm am sorry to hear you feel badly." Peter said sweetly as we entered the mansion.

We went up to the fifth floor where both our rooms were located. Peter said that the others were probably in the rec room watching a movie or doing homework, and suggested we go there.

"Sure, I'm just going to my room to get a sweater. I'm freezing." I turned down the hall and walked to my room door. Placing the key Jean gave me earlier into the slot, I unlocked the door and went inside. Only half way to my wardrobe did I realise Peter was still standing outside, awkwardly.

"Um," He said as I gave him a questioning look. "Would you prefer I stayed outside?"

"Oh," I said surprised. I forgot he was a boy and might feel awkward about being in a girl's room. "Are there rules against having boys in-"

"No, but if you prefer-"

"I don't mind, do you-"

"Well I don't want to make you feel-"

"Oh this is stupid." I finally said, stopping our awkward word dance. "Peter, would you like to come in?"

The giant Russian grinned sheepishly and walked into the room, taking in his surroundings. That's a little odd, I thought, he's pretty good friends with my roommates but he acts like he's never been in here before. Surely he has?

Peter sat on my plain bed and waited patiently as I rooted through the closet Kitty helped me unpack my stuff into the other day. Pulling out a white hoodie with a black rose design on it, I pulled it over my head. Once my head popped through the top, I was able to see Peter holding the picture of my family that I kept on my bedside stand.

"Is this your family?" He asked curious. I was barely able to stop myself from ripping the precious photo out of his hands.

"Yeah." I answered, coming to sit next to him on the bed. I looked at the photo that I've seen a thousand times before. It was taken about two years ago at my family's farm. I still had long hair back then, and I kept it in a braid. My little brother, Kenny, was smiling and laughing because my older sister Rebecca, was tickling him. Dad had on arm wrapped around Mum's waist and the other leaning on my head. He was always teasing me about my height, and it was a joke between us that when in company he wouldn't say anything, just lean on my head. Both of them looked so happy, so proud, so serene. My silver eyes were full of joy, just happy to be with my family. In the background was a little of our barn, the cow pasture, and a sunset.

"You look a lot like your mother." Peter commented. I laughed and he gave me an odd look. "What?"

"I was adopted, they aren't my birth parents." Peter blushed at his ignorance, but I didn't mind that he said that. I knew I didn't look like the rest of my family, but I always wanted to. When I was little, I had no idea why I looked so different from them. "Yeah, they just found me when I was a baby and decided to keep me. I had no idea that I wasn't their real daughter until my mutant powers manifested. I got a mind blast from them both, memories of how they found me and thoughts about when they should tell me. Not the easiest way to learn about it, especially since I was a little pissed about being a mutant. But I got over it. They were the best parents I could ask for, I was grateful for them taking me in. They never did get around to telling me…"

Tears started to fill my eyes. I brushed them away quickly when Peter looked down at me. "Um, I'm really tired. I-I don't think I'm feeling up to going to the rec room any more. I think I'll just turn in for the night."

Peter looked like he wanted to say something, probably something that I really didn't want to talk about. I was about to use my powers to get him to think he wanted to leave, maybe to even erase the conversation we just had, but he beat me to it.

"Alright, I guess I'll be going then. Goodnight, Shadow." Peter got to the door and paused. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here for you, моей таинственной задаться вопросом.

With that, Peter left me to dwell on my horrific past.


	8. Chapter 8

* The X-men and their world belongs to Marvel

Please review!

-_ another man shot her, this bullet killing her._

_Bang, my little brother._

_Bang, my father._

_The evil man turned to the giant, who was looking out the window. This giant man carried no gun, but he did not need one. His sharp canine teeth, his hard muscled body, his long claw like nails looked to be made of metal, proved that he needed no gun. This cat man, with his yellow eyes. This, this _beast_, just ordered my family's murders because they would not tell him where I was._

"_I-I'm sorry sir. You heard, they would not tell. I'm sure we'll find her." The man whimpered, my family's blood splattered on his shiny black boots._

"_I'm sure as well, Captain, with no help from you." With a cat's agility, the man snapped the captain's neck. Then he calmly turned to the other men who followed his orders, fear radiated through the room. "FIND HER!"_

I awoke from my nightmare, screaming. My scream echoed, filling my ears. It took me a second to realize that I was not the only one screaming. My roommates were screaming as well, tears running down their faces. I could hear the screams of others coming from all over the floor. I felt a wave of others' terror, horror, fear, sadness slam into my mind; adding to my own.

"What the hell?" I asked, confused and afraid.

Storm, Jean and another female teacher rushed into our room.

"The source is coming from this room." Jean yelled over the screaming girls. "Shadow, what's going on?"

"I-I don't know! They just started screaming and crying." I stuttered.

Jean closed her eyes and I heard (and felt) her call to someone.

"_Professor! We need your help! Fifth floor, girl's corridor." She called. _

I felt something that seemed like a acknowledgement. It seared through my mind but immediately after, the screaming stopped and I no longer felt the distress of the other girls.

I looked over at my roommates. Both Rogue and Kitty were sound asleep again, as though nothing happened.

"What-" I started to ask.

"Professor Xavier put them back to sleep, blocking out what they saw." Jean said tiredly. "Please follow me, Shadow."

I looked at her confused. What had I done?

I followed the older women down the hall and into the elevator. I looked at each of them, hoping for answers. But I saw nothing. Storm tried to cover a yawn, and rubbed her eyes. The unknown teacher was extremely pale, and kept looking at me with pity. When she noticed that I saw her, she just concentrated on staring straight ahead of her. Jean's eyes were closed and she kept rubbing her head. I wanted to know what was going on, but I wasn't about to use my powers to find out what these women knew. My head still ached from what Professor Xavier did.

The elevator stopped on the ground floor and the older women stepped out. I followed them to a room I knew to be the teacher's lounge. Dr. Grey made a point of telling me of it, in case I needed something. Usually the students went to Xavier's study if they needed help with something important, but I didn't have that option.

They opened the doors to reveal the staff in their assorted pyjamas. Kurt, Nightcrawler, hung up side down from the ceiling, fast asleep. A couple of unfamiliar teachers sat on a couch talking quietly. Logan was leaning casually against the wall, drinking a beer. And to my shock, he was only wearing boxers. Scott hurried over to Jean, a concerned look on his face. I sensed that they were communicating telepathically, but I didn't bother finding out what they were saying. Dr. McCoy gave me a small smile and wave before going to confer with Storm and the other woman teacher that escorted me down.

The only person dressed was a tall handsome young man with red on black eyes. I guess he just got back from a late date and that was why he was still dressed. He smiled cockily at me, and nodded his head. I sensed that most females he did this at fell for the flirty trick easily. It had no affect on me, but I continued to stare at him. He reminded me of-

The memory hit me. He was the man Rogue felt so strongly for. The one she was dying to touch, to love. The one person she had wanted to love her back.

My thoughts and shock was interrupted by Wolverine.

"So Red, feel like telling us what's this all about? What was wrong with those girls?" Logan asked.

"Shadow was having a nightmare, and her psychic powers transmitted it to most of the girls on her floor. Including Storm, Dani and I." She said grimly. "Xavier put them back to sleep, but we're not sure if we can erase their entire dream. It was backed by so much power and buried so deep into their subconscious."

"How could such a petite do something like dis?" The man Rogue loved asked in a thick Cajun voice. He stared at me sceptically.

"She didn't mean to, she did it subconsciously." Dani defended.

"And if she can do something like dis subconsciously, why don't you people do something to prevent it. Seems like a good idea to Gambit." Gambit shrugged, running his hands coolly through his hair.

"Dr. Grey and Hank have been studying and monitoring her powers." Scott snapped. "Why are you even here? You're not a teacher and this is a private meeting."

Gambit shrugged again and gave a charming smile. "Gambit was looking for some fun and heard there was a party happening in the teacher's lounge. Didn't hear it was a pyjama party though."

Scott rolled his eyes at the younger man.

"Lets stick to the subject people." Logan growled. "Kid, are you alright?"

I nodded, feeling a little better now that someone was remembering that I was in the room.

"How long has this been going on for? How long have you had those awful nightmares in your mind?" Dani asked me, giving me a look full of pity.

"Since they were murdered." I said quietly. "I wasn't there, I had gone out into the woods by our house for a walk that night. I wasn't feeling good, whenever something really bad is going to happen I can sense it and it effects how I feel. I didn't know that then though, so I couldn't warn my family. Its my fault they are dead. Its my fault those men killed them. If I was there, they would have left them alone."

Everyone looked at me in shock. I knew I was crying. Storm, Jean and Dani came over to me and tried to comfort me by hugging me and saying everything would be okay. Wolverine started roaring that he'd hunt down the bastards. Nightcrawler started praying. Cyclops was talking about something but I wasn't listening. Suddenly I was terrified and needed air. They shouldn't know, they can't know!

_STOP! _I mentally screamed.

And they obeyed. Everyone in the room became statues, not even their minds were working. They were living statues.

"Thank you for your concern, but this is something I have to deal with by myself." I told them quietly, knowing they couldn't hear me.

I closed my eyes and concentrated. I removed the memories they had for the last hour. They never were woken up by the school girls' screams on the fifth floor. They were never summoned by Jean to the teacher's lounger for an emergency meeting. They never heard my confession.

Once they were erased, I commanded them to go back to bed, having no memory of coming or going from here. I erased the dream from Storm, Dani and Jean.

I too went back up to my room. I scanned ever student on the floor for my nightmare and took it from them. Jean was right, it was shoved in pretty far so I could not completely remove it from the other students. They were left knowing that they had an awful dream, but not remembering what is was about.

With my head screaming in pain, I crawled back into my bed. My nightmares were my own, no one else should have to suffer them.


	9. Chapter 9

* X-men and their world belong to Marvel

Please review!

We woke up this morning to a bright, hot day (and no memory of what had happened the night before, thanks to my mind meddling). When we went down for breakfast, the guys were already there in their swimming trunks, having already decided that since it was a Saturday and so hot out, we should all go swimming.

"Um, I don't have a swim suit. But I'll still come watch you guys." I said as Peter took a seat beside me.

"No way! You'll just be dying sitting there! I'll lend you something." Jubilee promised.

"Oh, I don't know…" I said. Jubilee's style was…too much. She always had on some crazy outfit, hoping to set a new trend, and she was always showing more skin than necessary.

"Don't be selfish, Shad!" Jubilee had this nickname picked out for me and stuck to it. Apparently the "ow" part of my name was too much. "It won't be fun with you mopping beside the pool. And Peter must be dying to see you in a bathing suit!"

Everyone at the table snickered. Peter's face went bright red and avoided my eyes. I've been suppressing the urge to kill Jubilee for quite sometime, but now I was seriously considering giving into those urges.

With a whole lot of peer pressuring, my friends got me into Jubilee's scandalous yellow bikini and down to the pool.

As I walked by, the school's known pervert Arez, whistled at me.

"Hey new girl, why don't I show you around?" Arez called to me. "Just you, me, and that bikini. And if you think three's a crowd, don't bother with the bikini!"

I quickly wrapped my towel around me. I was about to use my powers to make the perv think he was dog for the rest of his life when Peter came to my rescue.

"Shut up, Arez." Peter said, his voice dangerously quiet. He looked down at the much smaller boy threateningly.

"Or what, tin man? You'll squash me?" Arez snickered pushing past Peter and coming closer to me. I threw up a psychic shield, keeping him at bay.

"Oh, what? Playing hard to get now?" Arez tested the shield between us, looking for an opening. Again he whistled. "Nice shield. Very sturdy. So I'm guessing we won't need condoms then?"

Suddenly Peter was behind him in his Colossus form. He picked up the sleaze and threw him high over the school and out of sight.

We all stared open mouthed at the usually quiet, gently giant. He just shrugged. "He's a teleporter, he'll live. Are you okay, Shadow?"

I nodded. Peter gave me a smile than followed his friends to the poolside. On lookers clapped and cheered on my hero, glad to have the pervert removed.

"It so cute how he has a crush on you." Kitty said, placing her pool bag by a lawn chair.

"What?" I asked, trying to sound like I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Its sooooooo obvious." Jubilee contributed.

"Yeah, Ah mean, he never came in a girl's room before. But you got him to." Rogue said. Seeing my confused look, she explained. "Sometimes we invite the guys into our room, yah know, to hang out if the rec room on our floor is full. The other guys had no problem with it but Pete refused to come in. We had to leave the door open so we could talk to 'im

While he sat in the hallway. Ah dunno, maybe he just decided it was worth it."

The other girls smiled at me goofily.

"Whatever, I'm sure he was just tired of always waiting in the hall." I mumbled, pulling my towel closer around me.

"And what about just now? He threw a guy over the school to protect you!" Paige exclaimed. "Petey hates attention, and tries to avoid fights."

I shrugged. "I hardly know him."

"And what were the two of you doing last night? Walking around together. Alone." Kitty grinned mischievously at me. I gave her look, willing her to shut up.

"What's this about?" We turned around to see Logan coming up to us.

"Oh, nothing Logan." Rogue told him. She was probably the most comfortable out of all of us with the surely teacher. Something about him saving her a few times. "We were just talking abou' teenager girls' love lives."

Hearing that, Logan grunted and walked away. We giggled and thanked Rogue.

"So are we going swimming or not?" Rahne said, changing the subject. I smiled gratefully at her. The wolf girl gave me a wink before running and diving into the Olympic sized swimming pool.

"Just don't go wolf on us! Its gross swimming in a pool with dog hair." Paige called before following her.

The other girls followed. Kitty dived into the pool. Once she resurfaced, she called. "Hey Shadow! Arnt you coming?"

"Um," I looked around. After the incident with Arez, I really didn't want any more attention because of Jubilee's stupid bikini.

Before I had a chance to answer, John and Sam came up from behind me and threw me into the pool. I quickly sank to the bottom. From above I could hear laughter. Hurriedly, I swam to the surface for air.

"Very bad idea, boys." I said, an evil grin on my face. Using my telekonesis, I picked up both boys and held them high above the pool. Ignoring their pleas, I dropped them. The entered the pool with a painful splash. After that, it became a game. Boys tried to dump the girls, girls tried to dump the guys.

I giggled hysterically, hovering out of the reach of John who wished to seek revenge. Us girls were ahead. Kitty phased just as Bobby tried to tackle her into the pool, the result him falling in. Rahn was in wolf form, working with Paige to trip Robert in. Jubilee was just about to be thrown in by Sam, but I used my telekinesis to float her out of harms way.

The only one who wasn't taking part was Rogue. She sat by the poolside sadly, dipping her feet in.

Using my powers to create a wave that knocked John away, I flew over to her.

"Hi Rogue." I greeted my roommate.

"Huh? Oh, hi." She fake a smile for a moment, then gave up. I knew what was bothering her. She couldn't play the game, it involved too much physical contact. I knew how scared she was to even have this much skin showing.

Besides that, Gambit was laying in one of the deck chairs, dozing while he got a tan. I sensed that her breath was short because he was so close and that she wanted more than anything for him to notice her.

Well, I thought grimly, if she can take part in the game, maybe she'll forget about him.

Concentrating on her bare skin, I drew up the shield I used the other day. It was a little thicker than before, and it didn't feel like skin, but it covered her entire body and stayed in place.

Smiling, I touched her shoulder. She looked up at me in surprise.

"Is-is it work-can Ah- really?" Rogue stuttered.

I smiled at nodded at her. "Its not as good as the one yesterday, because I'm covering all of you and we didn't get a chance to experiment, but it works. Now go."

I shoved her into the pool playfully. When she resurfaced, she smiled gratefully at me. "Ah'm gonna get yah back for that." With that she swam off to assist Jubilee in dragging John into the pool. I laughed as I walked from the poolside and sat on a deckchair.

"That was very kind of you." I looked around and saw Peter standing behind me. I had to shade my eyes to look all the way up at him.

"Well, I'm just glad its working. Rogue deserves to be able to have a good time with us. Mutation or no mutation. Thanks for before, with Arez." I thanked him.

"It was no trouble, you didn't deserve to have that boy bothering you." Peter gave me a bashful smile. "Though I can see why he would try, you do look quite nice in that bathing suit."

I had completely forgotten about the darn suit after I'd been thrown in. I blushed and grabbed a towel from close by. Peter took a seat beside me.

"I am going to burn this suit than kill Jubilee." I muttered. Peter laughed.

We continued to watch the others play war pool. Kitty was on Robert's shoulders and Rahn on Sam's and both were trying to wrestle the other team into the water. Jubilee was shooting fireworks at John, who had pulled her into the pool while she was trying to tan.

Bobby was throwing a reluctant Rogue into the pool.

Suddenly all eyes were on the two of them. Bobby had thrown her in, but it appeared that Rogue hit the poolside when thrown in, from everyone's reaction and her scream. Everyone but Peter and me gathered around, worried.

"Geez Bobby, you can be such a moron! What did she hit?" John smacked his friend over the head.

That's odd, I thought, I didn't she her hit anything and I don't sense any pain from her…

"I think I saw her hit her ankle." Paige supplied.

"While y'll just standing around, yah friend seems to be drowning." The Cajun drawled. "Stupid move, ice boy."

With that he dove into the pull and pulled Rogue out. Swimming over to the poolside, he helped her out and got out himself. Once both on dry land, Gambit picked Rogue up into his arms.

"Yah alrigh' petite?" Gambit asked the teenage girl in his arms.

I sensed excitement, nervousness, and attraction from Rogue, but still no pain.

"Ah, Ah dunno." She said weakly. "Ah think Ah hurt my ankle while being tossed in."

Gambit glared at Bobby who had come over.

"I'm so sorry Rogue! I thought I threw you far enough awa-" Gambit interrupted Bobby's apology.

"Sorry don' make this better." He said coldly. To Rogue he said. "I'll take yah to the Med Bay, do yah think yah can walk."

"Ah don't think so." Rogue said.

"I'll take her! I'm her boyfr-" Again Bobby was interrupted, but this time by Rogue.

"Stay away from meh, Drake! Yah caused enough trouble." With that Gambit carried her away.

As they past us, I heard Gambit say, "Ah'm Remy, by the way. Remy LeBeau."

I shook my head at my roommate's silliness. She wasn't hurt, but she took the opportunity to play damsel in distress to end up in the Cajun's arms.

Slowly, everyone started playing again. Though Bobby wasn't as into it as before.

After a few moments of thinking what Rogue did I had to say something. "But you didn't have to do that though."

Peter looked away from the pool war and gave me a confused look. "Do what?"

" 'Rescue" me from that prick. I can look after myself." I told him. I was never one to be a damsel in distress. At my old school, it was my reputation to be the tough little fighter. While on the run, the other kids expected me to fight and protect them. I've still yet earn my reputation at this school, and perhaps _me _throwing the pervert over the school would have earned it back.

"I was just trying to help." Peter said, a down hearted look on his face. Suddenly, it changed to a devilish grin. "So you can look after yourself, huh?"

I gave him a mistrustfullook.

"Yeah…" I said slowly.

"Don't need anyone to protect you?" Peter's smile grew.

"Yup."

"You're a tough girl and a fighter?"

"Yup yup."

" Alright then, prove it." The lummox grabbed me and easily swung me over his shoulder. I shrieked and kicked at his muscled chest.

"What?" I said shrilly. Seeing we were walking towards the poolside, I beat on his back. "Uh-uh! No way! Don't you _dare _Peter! I swear, I'll-"

"Come on Shadow." Peter said, twirling around to make me dizy. "I thought you could look after yourself? Besides, the guy's team is down and I think you count for at least five points."

He laughed good naturedly and I struggled to escape his grasp. Now the boys were laughing at me to, while the girls yelled encouragingly at me. This was so undignified!

"One," Peter said in a sing song voice.

"Don't you dar-" I warned.

"Two," Now the other boys were counting with Peter.

"I'm warning you-"

"Three!" Peter chucked me towards the water. But I never broke the surface.

I flew up high into the air and came up to Peter from behind. He swung around, shocked.

I gave him an evil grin.

"I told you." I said sweetly. I kissed his nose before using my telekinesis to shove the giant into the pool.

The boys moaned at their comrade's misfortune while the girls cheered me on. I flew high above the pool, giggling as I bowed. I let out an Amazonian warrior cry before cannonballing into the pool. Resurfacing, I saw Peter treading water beside me, smiling at me with respect.

"All right, that's enough of your childish games." Ororo, Storm, called from the safety of the deck. "Come in for lunch. Or would you rather do your Danger Room session on empty stomachs?"

Everyone groaned and climbed out of the pool.

"And I don't want you playing so roughly any more. Thankfully Rogue wasn't hurt but next time something serious could happen." Ororo said sternly.

Everyone mumbled an apology and promised not to do it again as they filed past the weather witch. I was the last one.

As I past her, I heard her ask. "So who won?"

Surprised, I answered. "Girls did."

She smiled and gave me a high five before we both went inside for lunch.

Storm is a pretty cool teacher.


	10. Chapter 10

* The X-men and their world belong to Marvel

Please review? Pretty please?

PS. Sabre-toothed will be entering soon, hope you'll like the role he plays in Shadow's life. And next chapter, Shadow's real name will be revealed

"Nemesis, thou name is Danger Room." Bobby grinned at me as I came out of the girls changing room. "You're gonna love it."

"Too bad it isn't a "love it or leave it" kind of relationship." Jubilee whined, popping her ever present bubble gum. "The teachers insist on us training in there with that mad man. Cute suit, chicka."

I looked down at outfit. Professor Storm gave it to me after asking if I thought I was ready to go into a Danger Room session with the others. Moronically, I told her I would try. The outfit was not something I (or really anyone sane) would wear on a regular basis. Tight black leather pants had a silver and black belt with the school's and the X men's famous "X" on it. The top part of the uniform was form fitting, with a V-neck. Thankfully the neckline was modest enough that I wouldn't have to worry about my male teammate looking down my shirt while I was suppose to be focusing on the Danger Room session. The shirt was sleeveless but contained a hood. In the sea of black leather, a bright yellow X stood out on my back (great, a target), and my pink Converse shoes. When Storm gave me my uniform, she offered a pair of black boots or almost slipper like shoes of leather, but I preferred to stick with what was comfortable.

"Tight, black leather." I mused. "At my old school we just wore shorts and an over sized gym shirt with our school's name on it."

"Hey, the sweet outfits are the only reason I come to these sessions!" Jubilee said, twirling to show everyone her outfit. Each outfit was different. Jubes' had high black leather boots, a short skirt and a jacket that showed her midriff.

"If you have a problem with your outfit, take it up with Storm." Peter suggested. "She's usually pretty good about making uniforms that suit us, but she can make mistakes."

"Like having what looked like underwear for yours, Colossus?" Kitty giggled. Peter blushed as she explained it to me. "The first uniform Storm had for him was awful! It looked like a girl's one piece bathing suit."

"Alright everyone, listen up!" Scott marched into the waiting area that we occupied. "Is everyone here for the session? Where is Angel and Gambit?"

During these sessions, we're suppose to use our code names.

"Angel came late from lunch, so he's still changing. And um, I don't think Gambit is coming." Bobby (Iceman) informed the uptight professor.

I glanced briefly at Rogue, feeling emotion radiating off of her. Sadness, anger, love. Man, this girl's got it bad, I thought to myself. She spent the lunch period with Gambit, not bothering to come to our table. But why was she angry? What happened? Why would she be angry at him for-

"Again? This is the eighth session he's missed since coming here!" Scott (Cyclops) said. "Just because he's older than you kids, he thinks he is trained enough to-"

"Get your panties out of their twist Summers." A familiar voice growled from the door. Wolverine walked in, smoking a cigar. "Its his problem, not yours. Are you trying to steal my session?"

Cyclops stiffened even more. It was one of the worst kept secrets in the school that they hated each other. And that Logan liked and even hit on Scott's girlfriend, Jean Grey. "When you were late, again, I decided to take over your class. I didn't know you were planning on turning up, on doing the responsible thing."

"I left my cigar in my room and had to go back for it. Now you can leave." Wolverine blew a puff of smoke into the other teacher's face.

"Put out the cheap cigar, Wolverine, you can't smoke in the school." Cyclops ordered. Logan continued to smoke. "Will I have to get the Professor?"

"One-Eye can't fight his own battles? Needs Chuck to fight them for him?" Wolverine snarled, but put out his cigar by sticking it into his own palm. The wound quickly healed. Some might see this as obeying the order, but we knew it was a challenge.

We all tensed. I saw Pyro give an evil grin to Iceman, as if sharing a joke.

"Ten bucks on the Wolverine." He whispered.

Before the two men could so much as throw a punch, a psychic command filled our minds. It was from the Professor.

"Scott, Logan, that is enough." He said. Everyone winced at the mind they heard, but while it just felt like a yell in their minds, for me it felt as if the command was being carved into my brain. I fell to the floor, clutching my searing head, spots filling my vision.

Through the pain, I felt as if someone ran a gentle finger over my mind. Instantly, the pain decreased a little. Shadowcat and Colossus helped me back up and held me steady. But Colossus being a lot taller than the girl, he just took over the job completely and picked me up and held me in his large arms. I knew I should struggle or ask him to put me down (I didn't want people to see him holding me like this or for them to think I'm weak and needed help), but I thought if I opened my mouth I would vomit. Though I knew what I should be doing, I couldn't help but notice how safe I felt in Peter's arms.

While being held, I continued to watch Cyclops and Wolverine. The Professor obviously thought better of letting others hear him scold his X-Men, and focussed on just their two minds. For that I was grateful, hearing another psychic's mind was extremely painful for me. Cyclops' and Wolverine's made faces and glared at each other but made no noise. Eventually both men nodded and spoke to us once more.

"Shadow, Professor Xavier asks me to apologize for what happened. He forgot you were in this session and used too much power, he didn't mean to hurt you. Are you all right now?" Cyclops asked me. I nodded. "Good."

With that, Scott Summers gave a brief nod to the class and a death glare at Logan. He made a point to bump into Wolverine on his way out.

"Prick." Wolverine muttered. "Alright, lets get this session started. Colossus, Shadow said she was fine, so you can put her down now. Unless you plan to throw her at your targets during the session, I think she'll do better on her own two feet. "

Peter looked down at me, as if he forgot he was holding me. I guess a hundred and fifteen pounds is nothing for the Colossus. He quickly set me back down gently, and muttered embarrassed. "Sorry."

By this time, Angel was running out of the change room frantically trying to pull on his boots.

"Take your time, pigeon, the world will just wait to be saved while you get your boots on." Wolverine gave a wolfish grin before entering the code to open the Danger Room.

Leading us into the large room, Wolverine called over his shoulder. "Okay, everyone spread out in a circle."

We did as he asked. He stepped into the circle. "Now, put your backs to me."

This we weren't so happy to do. With his adamantium claws and his unpredictable behaviour, we wanted to keep our eyes on him. But with one dangerous glare, we did as instructed. "Good. Now for this exercise, I'm going to throw objects at you and attack you. Feel free to use you powers to defend yourselves."

A second later, Wolverine hurled a ball at Pyro's head. The ball hit its target.

"OW! WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM MAN?" John yelled, rubbing his head.

Wolverine didn't answer, just moved onto his next target, Shadowcat. We got it now, we were suppose to be ready to defend by ourselves at all times. The Brotherhood or other villains wouldn't ask if we were ready to fight.

Kitty spun around at John's protests, so she knew when to phase to miss the next ball thrown.

"Eep!" She squealed.

"Keep yer backs turned!" Wolverine snarled. "Use your senses. Hear my coming, smell me coming, _sense _I'm coming!"

"Not everyone has your enhanced sense." John muttered, earning him another ball in the head.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Sense him, sense him. I could feel the beast in my teacher, roaring with laughter at his pack's silly young. He knew he had to teach the youngsters to survive, to protect themselves. He felt dominant and felt good knowing he could take on anything, even just a bunch of teenagers with superpowers. But I could also feel the man, Logan, keeping in control.

But where is he?

I felt fear, then pride coming from Iceman. Apparently he made the ball thrown at him to heavy with his ice, making it drop. Okay, I thought, Bobby was three people away from me. So he's very close. Concentrating on a mind map, I tried to place Logan on it. Placing everyone on it. I got another strong feeling, coming from Angel. He had flown up into the air, but not fast enough. Wolverine grabbed his leg and pulled him down in a tackle. So Angel was right beside me-

Suddenly I felt the beast/man right behind me, ready to pounce. Turning around I set up a shield between us.

But, something wasn't right. Seeing Wolverine, I, I had the sudden urge to rip my teacher and protector's throat out. I wanted to sink my claws (claws, what claws?) into his eyes. I wanted him to bleed. I wanted him to scream. I wanted him to hurt. I craved his death.

It was as if an animal, a wild beast, had entered my mind.

I lowered the shield, ready to attack.

_No!_ A small part of me cried, trying to take control. _Don't! This isn't you! You are not an animal!_

The Wolverine looked differently too. He wanted to attack me, to fight me, as much as I did him. His hazel eyes had turned black.

Suddenly, that small voice took over, not a roar.

_STOP!_

Shaking my head to clear it, trying to rid myself of whatever madness had occurred, I let my guard down. Just because I didn't want to kill him, didn't mean Wolverine had changed as well.

Wolverine tackled me to the ground. He growled as he pinned me down, more beast than man. He held my throat with one hand and held the other above him. Three claws sprung from his fist, ready to plunge all of them into my heart. His hand came down-

"Wolverine!" Peter tackled the older man off of me. I gasped for air.

Holding Wolverine against the wall, Peter looked over at me with fear. Kitty, Rogue and Rahn hurried over to me, helping me sit up. Jubilee was complaining about psycho teachers. Bobby, Angel, and John stood between the two of us.

"What the hell was that about, Logan!" Rogue yelled. "Yah looked ready to kill her!"

_And I was ready to kill him. _I thought terrified._ Had anyone noticed?_

"I, I dunno. Her eyes, her eyes made me think it was, but that can't…" Wolverine stuttered, not knowing what to say.

What did he mean my eyes? I wondered. Then a pain stung my mind.

"Professor Xavier is calling me. Session dismissed." Wolverine murmured. Peter let go of him, but walked Wolverine to the door, ready to tackle him again.

"Ugh, as if they let that psycho teach us! He was going to _kill _Shad. He would have if not for Pete." Jubilee exclaimed, putting an other piece of gum in her mouth to calm her.

"Ah thought Logan was past these episodes." Rogue said sadly, looking at where her friend and saver left. "He could control the beast."

I felt the control he had over the beast inside him. He felt its instincts and wants, but he was always in control. What was it about me that set him off? That the beast would take over? What was wrong with me? Why had I felt like that?

So many frightening questions and no one to answer them.

The Danger Room door slid open again, allowing Gambit to enter. Seeing our still shocked, pale faces, he gave us a confused smile. "What's up, mon amis?"

I got up to my feet, nodding a thanks to the girls who tried to comfort me. With that, I walked past Gambit and out the door. I sensed Peter coming up behind me, and that he wished to comfort me, but I looked around and shook my head at him. I needed to be alone.


	11. Chapter 11

* The X-men and their world belong to Marvel

Please review!

I was running to my room as fast as I could, needing to be alone. Needing quiet so I could just think about what happened. I prayed that the others had not seen what Logan had.

Isn't it always when you need to be alone that you can't?

Rounding a corner, I saw Diffuse. I would not have realised it was her if not for her exceptionally bright hallow. Why I would not have recognised her was 1) Most of her was covered and 2) Most of her was covered with a boy.

"Diffuse!" I said, totally shocked, as I pulled the boy off of her.

It was that pervert, Arez!

Arez smirked at me, "You jell'n on what you missed out, new girl? Wish you could have gotten this action? Understandable."

"You sicken me." I hissed at him. "She is at least four years younger than you!"

I tried to pull Diffuse away with me, but she held her ground. Again I looked at her in shock as she yanked her arm back and placed herself in Arez's arms.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" She shrieked at me.

"Um, maintaining whatever pride you have left?" I yelled back at her. "What do you think you're doing, making out with that pervert?"

"Feeling good about myself, something that hasn't happened in a long time! Arez thinks I'm beautiful!" Diffuse yelled.

"Have you gone stupid since the last time we saw each other? He just wants you for-" My scold was interrupted by an awful laugh from Diffuse.

"And how long ago was that? What, now that you have normal looking friends you just ditch us freaks?" She screeched into my face, her words making me back up. "Now that you have that handsome Russian, you'll just forget about Derik? He too "mutant" for yah? Too ugly for the pretty "normal" girl? I told him that you would leave him at the first chance to have a handsome human looking boy, falling at your feet!"

"Derik and I never-"

"But you led him on! You made him think that it would work out between you two once we were safe! And what about poor little Leah?" Diffuse's hallow was becoming increasingly brighter. "You went from practically being her mom to a stranger. You deserted her, like the rest of us!"

"I never meant to-" I could feel tears in my eyes. I never meant to abandon them or for them to think I had. Poor Leah, I should have checked on her the moment I woke up! I disgusted myself.

"But you did." Diffuse said flatly. "But you wanna know something? I don't care. You may still look human, but you're the biggest freak out of all of us. Your head is so screwed up, you aren't even the least bit human any more. So stop trying to be my mother. Arez cares about me, unlike you, freak."

All those months I looked after this poor confused girl. All those months I told her she was beautiful, no matter her mutation. All those months I taught her self defence, in hopes that she could protect herself. And yet the first time some horny boy tells her she's beautiful and she's in the palm of his hand.

He was taking advantage of her. He knew it, and he liked it.

Arez gave me another cocky smirk as he slid his hands down to the younger girl's bottom and gave it a little squeeze, knowing that I was watching.

Something inside of me snapped, like before in the Danger Room.

This predator was going to hurt one of my pack. Like an instinct, I pounced onto him, holding his down with a strength I didn't know I had. He struggled wildly, fear filled his eyes as they met mine. I could hear his heart pumping faster. I could smell his fear. He continued to struggle, but I knew his efforts were pointless. I held my hand to his throat, ready to spill his blood-

From far away, I heard a scared female voice yelling at me to stop.

I ignored it, until a blinding flash filled my eyes, forcing me to stop.

I rolled off of Arez, holding my head. Diffuse's hallow had shrunk to a size that was bearable to look at once more, so I looked at her, my eyes watering.

Her face was terrified. She grabbed the still stunned boy and pulled him away from me. She helped him up, and had him stand by supporting him under his arm. Arez was murmuring something about "eyes, her eyes".

Turning to go, she gave me one more horrified look and whispered. "Freak."

They had made it halfway down the hallway when I threw up my arm and screamed. "Stop!"

And they did.

I must have reinforced the command with my mind control powers,

Slowly I walked up to the still couple. I knew I had to erase this awful memory, as I had with the teachers the other night, but I also had to know. I had to see what I had done.

Putting my hand up to Arez's still head, I connected our minds. Suddenly, I was Arez. Looking at girls in their miniskirts, wolf whistling at them as they past, looking at a Playboy I had hidden under my bed, sneaking into the girl's change room-

There it was, I thought to myself, finally finding the memory through all the filth.

I saw myself tackling me (Arez) to the floor and pinning him down. I was so afraid. This crazy girl actually wanted to kill me! She was going to kill me! Her yellow cat eyes told me-

I pulled my mind from his, horrified.

"It can't be." I whispered.

Quickly I erased the memory from both minds and sent them to the rec room.

I ran to my room and slammed the door. Throwing myself onto my bed I covered my face with my pillow so no one would hear my screams and prayed that the pillow would cut off my air.

My eyes had not been my own silver ones when I attacked Arez, when I became an animal. They had been the giant cat man's eyes. The one who had murdered my family.

I removed the pillow from my face and looked over at the mirror that hung on the back of the door. I saw my silver eyes and tear streaked face, but I could not forget those yellow eyes that had been mine.


	12. Chapter 12

_I was staring out the window, watching the men train. Drinking a Jack Daniels, I considered going down to train with them. Not that I needed it, I thought smugly, I just want to spill some blood. It had been such a long time…or had it been just last Saturday?_

"_Sir," A timid voice drew my attention. Turning, I saw a pathetic excuse for a man cowering. I drew back my lips in a sneer, showing my pointed canines._

"_What? Why are yah bothering me?" I barked, taking pleasure in the smaller mans fear._

"_W-we located the girl." By now the man was sweating with fear. _

_I turned away from him so I could actually smile. Finally! All these years of searching. I had almost had her a few months ago in that small hick town in Canada, but that idiot captain killed her family before I could get my answers. What had I done to him again? I know I killed him, but I don't remember how. Ripped out his throat? Snapped his neck?_

"_B-but, we, the men who found her, uh, we-" The pathetic worm drew my attention again._

"_Spit it out!" I snarled, getting in his face._

"_She's at the Xavier Institute." The man was so frightened that he could only whisper these words._

_My rage burned through me like an inferno Roaring, I grabbed the man and threw him into the wall. I kicked and threw more objects, wishing they were someone's (anyone's head). I punched holes in the walls and ripped at the wall paper with my claws._

_Steaming over to the man I threw, I pulled him up and pressed him against the wall, allowing my claws to rest in his throat._

"_Why didn't they stop her BEFORE she was in his protection?" I roared in his face. The man could hardly breathe and had wet his pants. But I was too mad now to take pleasure from his fear. "It will be nearly impossible to collect her now."_

_The man's face was now blue, he sputtered his pleas to be let go. "Please, please Sabre-tooth, I can't, br-bre-"_

_The weakling was dead before I filled my craving of a killing a man. Pathetic._

_Dropping the corpse to the floor, I ran back to the window. I broke it with my fist, the glass shattering and cutting into my skin. Ignoring the pain and letting my mutant power heal, I shouted to the men below._

"_I WANT SUVALANCE ON XAVIER'S SCHOOL AT ALL TIME!" The men jumped in fright at my command. "IF THE OPPORTUNITY COMES, THEN GRAB HER! I WANT HER NOW! BRING ME CATHLEEN!"_

I awoke with a start. I had just been in the mind of my family's murder in my head. What was wrong with me? First I'm acting like an animal, attacking people, and now I'm having dreams about being a murder. Yeah, I need professional help.

So now I knew a little about him. He was a mutant like me. His name was Sabre-tooth. He took pleasure in other's fear, pain, and death. He was a monster.

I suspected he was still after me, but after months of not sensing him I thought I was safe. He knew my name, my real name. He knew where I was here. But how? And why?

Many nights I have spent wondering why this mad man wanted me, and wanted me so badly that he would kill my family. I still have no idea, no clue, not even a crazy random guess of why I am being hunted by him.

I hugged my knees up to my chest, trying to ignore the tears running down my face. I just want to be normal. To have my family back. To not live in fear. What have I done to deserve this?

"Shad? You up?" I heard Jubilee's voice and felt her give my shoulder a shake.

"Er, yeah, I'm awake." I hoped that my choked up voice would be blamed on the late hour and not let my friends know I've been crying.

"Good, because we're going out!" Kitty practically squealed. I heard others shush her. "Oops, sorry. So get up!"

"What?" I still kept my back to the group. I didn't know if I looked like I'd been crying. Or even worse, if I had that monster's eyes.

"Would you look at us? We know everyone looks like crap without make up and its just us gals any way, the guys are outside." Jubilee gave me another shake.

"Outside? Seriously, what are you guys talking about?" I hissed back.

"It was Gambit's idea." I heard Rogue say. "After that awful training session, whe decided to go out for the night. We're go'n to that club in town. Remy got us fake ideas, and we were think'n that you could reinforce them with yha'r powers. Up to it?"

I thought. You know, I used to be the kind of person that would never even _consider _sneaking out and going to a club under aged. Now? I just want to forget and live recklessly.

"Sure, just give me a minute." I got up, making sure to keep my back to the other girls, and went to get dressed. I had fallen asleep in my uniform.

"Uh, really?" I heard Rahn say sceptically. "I thought it was going to take a lot more to convince you. You haven't been replaced by a shape shifter or aliens have you?"

"Me too. But we had a secret weapon on our side." Jubilee said.

"Pe-e-t-er!" The girls drawled out the name, then burst into giggles.

"Okay, I'm ready to go." I dawned a tight miniskirt borrowed from Jubilee and a halter top from Kitty that showed my stomach. I wore the black heeled boots Storm had offered me but hadn't worn before. I pulled on my leather jacket before checking myself out in the mirror. My eyes were their normal and there lay no evidence of my prior crying. My outfit, well, made my look like a bit slutty and a lot bad ass. It asked for nothing but trouble. Lucky for me, trouble was what I wanted.

"How do I look?" I asked, not really wanting an answer. "You girls don't mind that I borrowed these, do you?"

Everyone looked at me in shock. Still opened mouthed, they both shook their heads.

"Good." I walked over to the door and smirked at the other girls before opening it. "Lets go get hammered."


	13. Chapter 13

Using our powers, Gambit's thief abilities and Danger Room training, we were able to "borrow" the X-men's vehicles. Two hummers and-

"No way, he'll kill you!" Robert warned as I got on Scott's motorcycle.

Yeah, this was probably the stupidest thing I could do, but I really didn't care. I gave a wolfish grin at my friends.

Everyone looked at each other, sharing the same look. Everyone had noticed my change in clothing, Peter nearly fainted! While they discussed how they thought I wouldn't want to go on our little adventure, I soaked in their shock. It was the exalt reaction that I wanted. No more Miss Nice and Innocent tonight! I was going to get hammered, I was going to party hard, and I was gonna ride this bike!

"Do you even know how ta ride one of those?" Paige asked suspiciously.

"No," I admitted leaned forward on the bike. "Do any of you guys?"

Nearly everyone shook their heads, either at my foolishness or because they didn't know how. They didn't know what had gotten into me and they were a little afraid. I could feel it. But they didn't want t say anything to ruin tonight. The crazier, the better.

"I do cher." Gambit stepped forward. "But yah sure yah wanna do this? It's pretty risky. Both the drive and getting on Granny Summers' bad size don't seem to smart to Gambit."

"So? He won't catch me." I defended. And, if he does, I'll just erase it from his mind. I hope Jean can't tell when that's happened. "So are you going to help me out or do I have to figure this thing out by myself?"

Gambit grimaced and stepped forward. "Okay petite, if yah say so. First, this clutch-"

"Ugh, I don't want a lesson, I just want to go!" I gave the Cajun a mischievous smile. "Can we just do this the fast way?"

"What do yah mean by-" Suddenly it dawned in those black and red eyes. "Oh."

"Just the skills and know how." I promised. "No memories, thoughts, or private stuff. I swear."

"Come on Gambit!" John called from the Hummer's roof where he had decided to sit. "It'll take forever otherwise."

"All right petite," Gambit said warily. "Uh, you can do this?"

I nodded eagerly while thinking, well, we're about to find out, aren't we?

The others quieted down as I put my hand up to Remy's forehead, connecting our minds. Swimming in the Bayou, robbing some rich guys house, Rogue dreams, Rogue moments blab la bla, ah! Here it is!

It was like I down loaded his skills and knowledge of motorcycles into my mind.

Opening my eyes and smiling, I said. "Let's ride."

"Finally! I call driving." John slipped off the roof and dove into the driver's seat. The group descended onto him, arguing about driving.

Zipping up my leather jacket, I noticed someone was beside me. I looked up (way up) to see Peter looking at me oddly.

"Yes?" I asked coolly.

"Are you alright?" Peter asked, trying to make our eyes meet. "You're acting-"

"Moronically? Childish? Recklessly? Yeah, I know." I tried to smirk, to make him think that I thought I was being cool, but it looked more like a grimace. Yeah, you're defiantly Ms. Cool and Rebellious, I thought shrewdly. Can't even pull off a poker face.

"You're stealing-"

"Borrowing." I corrected.

"No, you're stealing a teacher's bike to go get drunk!" Peter's voice was raised now, the others looked our way. "What is wrong?"

Looking into his beautiful blue eyes, I wanted so badly to just give up the attitude. To admit all my fears and what's been happening to me. To just stop this stupid "adventure" before it got out of hand. To have someone else bare my burdens. To have someone as amazing as Peter to comfort me.

I looked away, "I'm fine. Nothing is wrong. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go get smashed."

Peter shook his head, throwing his arms up in defeat. "Fine. I'm going in."

With that he marched back inside, not even giving us a second look.

Now I really wanted to cry. Putting on the stolen helmet I grabbed in the garage, and pulling down the shield. Now, they can't see me cry. That's almost like not crying at all.

"Lets go!" Sam called, trying to get everyone into the same mood as before.

The stolen hummers rolled out of the garage and onto the driveway. Starting up the bike as if I had done it a hundred times before (like Gambit had), I revved after the hummers.

Note to self, you love riding motorcycles! I laughed as I sped ahead of the hummer with Bobby, Kitty, Robert, John and Rahn in it. Kitty phased through the window to smile and wave at me. Pulling a papa-wheelie, I waved back.

Eventually, we got to the town and found the club Gambit was talking about. We got in easily, thanks to the fake IDs and my powers.

We divided up, depending on our character. Sam, Jubilee, John, Paige and Robert rushed onto the dance floor and joined in with the dancers easily. Me, Rogue and Rahn found an empty booth where we could watch our friends. Bobby and Gambit followed.

"How 'bout I get you filles some drinks." Remy offered, sliding in beside Rogue. At first she edged away, but then relaxed and leaned on him. I felt the anger and sadness radiating off Bobby.

"We're under aged." Even being an Iceman, Bobby sounded cold.

"Then you shouldn't be in here, little boy." Gambit tried to sound like he was kidding, but he sounded more like he was trying to make Bobby sound like an idiot. "Big kids only. How abou you, petite? I know I heard you say before you wanted somethang a petite stronger than a lemonade, no?"

"Uh, right." I said, trying to sound confident. "Sure. What do you suggest?"

"I'll bring yah back somethang good." The Cajun gave me a smile.

After talking with the other girls, Remy went to get our drinks. Bobby tired to take Remy's spot beside Rogue, but she moved away from him. He was so hurt that I actually felt it. Poor Bobby, its not his fault that Rogue found someone else. But she still shouldn't be treating him like this. Or showing favour of Remy.

"I'm going to get something to." Bobby got up. "Your illusion will work on the bartender too, right Shad?"

I nodded and he left. I knew his plans, to get as drunk as possible so he couldn't feel what Rogue is doing to him. I had the same plans, just bigger gaols. Drink so much that I couldn't feel my life.

"So are you and Petey alright?" Kitty asked softly. "I heard you two fighting…"

"Um, well I am. I'm just fine. And Peter is okay too, I think." I answered, pretending to not understand her question.

Kitty let the question drop because Remy was back with our drinks.

"Here yah go, belle petites." He gave us his charming smile as he once again took a seat next to Rogue. "Where Frosty get to?"

"Get a drink." Rahn answered. She didn't like Remy, or the spell he was casting over Rogue.

Rogue on the other hand put up no fight. Now that Bobby wasn't here, he was openly leaning on Gambit and sipping her drink. I felt her happiness but knowing it was not mine didn't make me truly feel it.

Oh Rogue girl, I thought, don't loose your heart to a smooth talking Cajun just yet.

"So you wanna dance, Marie?" Remy cooed to her, making Rogue swoon.

Kitty, Rahn and I spat out our drinks. "Marie!"

Remy gave us an confused look, "Uh yeah, dat her name, isn't it?"

Rogue blushed a little. She never told her friends her true name, but the Cajun knew it. I felt the hurt and anger off of Kitty and Rahn.

"So, dance?" Remy asked again.

"Sure." Rogue gave him a smile. "I'll be there in a minute."

"Don't be keep'n Remy waiting, cher." Remy said, oozing with charm. He kissed Rogue's gloved hand before making his way out to the dance floor.

"You both sicken me." Rahn murmured, going off to sit with a lonesome Bobby.

"Ah know Ah shouldn't but…" Rogue got a far off look in her eyes. "He makes meh so happy, Ah can't help mah self."

"Do what you want Marie, just don't hurt Bobby more than you have." Kitty went after Rahn.

Rogue looked at me. "Ah've really screwed things up, huh?"

"They'll get over it. They're just worried about you. You're already in the palm of Gambit's hands. Not to mention he's a lot older than you." Since I was the only remaining girlfriend, I was required to give her this speech. "You've told him much more than them and opened up to him. I think they're a little upset by that."

"But he makes meh feel so-"

"I know, I know. Telepath, remember? And I'll tell you now, he feels the exact same way. But don't loose yourself, alright? Or your friends."

"Thanks Shad, yah're a good friend." Rogue smiled. "Uh, I hate to ask this but-"

"Your shield is on and ready to go." All of a sudden, I felt very old and tired. "Just remember what I said."

"Thank yah!" Rogue reached over and gave me a hug before running off after Gambit.

Now, sitting here alone, drinking this awful tonic, I realized how much I didn't want to be here. Some of my friends were drinking, under age. The others were trying to "pick up" older people for kicks. And the rest were depressed and confused about their teenage relationships.

This stupid drink wasn't making anything better. The music seemed louder, and I could hear pretty much everyone's minds. I wasn't any more free, just a headache to add to everything else.

Going back out to the parking lot, I mounted the bike and took off for the School. Driving drunk was stupid of me. Sneaking out in the first place was stupid. I know that now (probably then too, but of course I had to be a _rebel_).

I was about half a mile from the Institute when I felt the dart pierce my skin and I felt worse than I did before. Loosing control of the bike, I crashed in the ditch. My leg was killing me, but I had bigger problems.

Standing in front of me was Sabretooth, my family's murderer.

I tried to use my powers, but I was in too much pain and the world was getting darker.

"Hello Cathleen." He practically purred.

Then the world went back.


	14. Chapter 14

I woke up in my bedroom. Its familiar cerulean blue walls greeted me. I had my baseball and 4-H trophies on the same shelf as my old stuffed animals and weird knickknacks my sister and I collected over the years. My poster of Star Wars characters that my little brother got me for my birthday as a joke hung on the wall beside my collage of pictures of my family, friends, and landscapes. But the room seemed a little empty. Recently my parents finished the addition on our old farm house, so Rebecca moved into her new room. It was weird, not waking up every morning to see her drooling and fast asleep across the room from me and I missed our morning pillow fights. Maybe I should sneak into her new room and wake her up with a face full of pillow, just like old times.

I sighed and rolled over, content with the world. Or maybe I could just lay here and sleep for a couple more minutes.

I felt a shock of pain shoot through my leg. What the heck? I thought as I pulled back my covers. I don't remember doing anything to my-

Seeing a broken leg with a cast, I remembered.

I remembered sneaking out last night with my friends.

I remembered that I drove Scott's stolen bike off the road.

I remembered that I hadn't slept in my bedroom in nearly half a year.

I remembered that my sister Rebecca was dead, along with the rest of my family.

And I remembered the murdering monster who killed my family.

I heard a door open and saw Sabretooth striding towards me, a triumphant smile that showed his beast like teeth. I tried to jump up but was quickly reminded of my broken leg when I once again felt a shockwave of pain rush over me. I fell back onto the bed, staying still until the pain subsided. I glared at the animal.

"You bastard." I whispered. I had often dreamed about what would happen when I found my family's killer, but none of my fantasies involved me having a broken leg and lying in my childhood bedroom.

"Yer one to talk." The man beast laughed, walking over to the shelf where I kept the knickknacks.

I tried to use my powers, but something was blocking them. When I tried to use my telekinesis to make my trophies impound the murder's head in, nothing happened. I felt a dull pain in my head, which became stronger as I tried harder.

"Yah can't use yer powers." The monster said, tossing the snow globe Dad got me for Christmas. "Yull only hurt yerself if yah try."

Ignoring what he said, I put all my power to try to use my mutant abilities. The pain increased to nearly unbearable, but I didn't stop till I realized my nose was bleeding. Holding my hand to my nose then pulling it away, I looked at my blood in shock.

He laughed at me again. "Stubborn, won't listen ta anybody. Just like me."

For the first time, I reasoned to him.

" I AM NOTHING LIKE YOU!" I screamed. Broken leg or no broken leg, I got up. I would have tried to tackle and rip his face off if it weren't for the two bracelets on each of my wrists. A red light lit up on each of them and I felt a force drag me and pin me to the bed. I struggled, but they would not let go.

"Temper too." Sabretooth mused. "Yah can also thank me fer that."

"What do you want with me? You kill my family, hunt me down, kidnap me and bring me back to my old bedroom. For what? To kill me?" I snarled at him. Now I looked away. "Well, you should have done that the night you destroyed my world."

The Sabretooth pulled up a chair, my grandmother's antique one that I begged Mum to let me keep in my room. Everything in here had a precious memory, but he was befouling every single one.

"I didn't kill yer family. And I'm not gonna kill yah." He pulled the chair closer, looking into my eyes. I wish I had my powers, to know what was going in his evil mind. Or to repeatedly stab him with everything in this room.

I gave a short humourless laugh. "Oh right, you just ordered them to be murdered. Your hands are completely clean."

"Well, they're dead," He admitted. "and I take credit for that. But they don't matter none. Just a bunch of scum sucking humans that posed as yer family."

Oh great, some human hating nut.

I felt a little boost in my power, enough to break free of whatever bonds held them and to shove Sabretooth a couple feet away from my bed. The result left me exhausted and my head hurt, but I smiled, satisfied.

My brief victory was soon ruined by _him _smiling back.

"Yer powerful. I take credit fer that too. But I guess yer mother gets a little thanks too." He pulled his chair over to me again.

"What do you want with me?" I snarled at him again.

" Yah see Cathleen," He started. "I've been looking fer yah fer a very long time. Nearly fifteen years."

I waited for the monster to continue, but he didn't.

"Why." I muttered, not wanting him to have the satisfaction of my curiosity.

He didn't answer straight away. He got up and went to look at my crammed bookshelf.

"Yah was so small as a kit. I could hold yah with one hand. Those creepy silver eyes weirded me out a little, but I guess yah were cute. So fearless, so powerful, so observant. I knew yah were gonna be great. Didn't know yer was gonna be a booknerd though."

The idea of this monster holding a baby (especially me) scared and disgusted me.

"Yah weren't scared of me, I liked that. Was worried yah might disrespect me if yah weren't scared, but yer mum took care of me having ta raise yah when she ran off. Stupid bitch."

Oh dear God, please let me be interrupting this wrong.

"Course, she didn't make it far. Far enough that I couldn't find yah and erased yer scent, but I found her. Broke her neck and left her in the forest. Think some animals ate her corpse. Bitch deserved it." The evil beast let out a harsh laugh.

"I was gonna kill her when she told me she was pregnant. Thought a mate and kit would slow me down. But than an old acquaintance of mine told me of the power yah could have. Should me a vision of what yah looked like. Guess it was just natural fer me to take ta yah. I loved my kit the moment I laid eyes on yah." He gave me a smile.

My blood ran cold.

"You are lying." I hissed. "I can't be your, your," I shuddered. "daughter."

"Yah telling me yah haven't had yearnings? Ta just let loose and free? Kill those who disrespect yah, show yer dominance?" I looked away, giving the beast his answer. "Thought so. I started feeling that way when I was nine. Guess yer mother put a little mind meddling in yah. But it didn't work, I'm too strong inside of you. Whatever yah got from her can't contain what _I _have."

"YOU'RE LYING!" I screeched. My power fluctuated again, this time enough to free me from the bed. I pounced onto monster and started scratching at his face. It took him less than a second to knock me off of him and into the wall.

It knocked the wind out of me. I gasped for breath as he came over to me and picked me up by the back of my shirt. He held me, dangling for a second, and gave me a little shake.

"Yer more like me than I thought. Good." He threw me back onto the bed. I hit my leg and let out a scream of pain. "Yah got spunk. Don't let anyone disrespect yah."

He went to the sealed metal door and pressed in a code. It opened and he stepped out. He poked back his head back in and gave me a glare with his evil cat like eyes.

"But if yah ever disrespect me like that again, I'll break yer other leg." With that he left and the door sealed itself behind him.

Tears streaming down my face, I closed my eyes and prayed. "Dear God, grant me this. Kill me."


	15. Chapter 15

I've been imprisoned by this mad man for roughly three months now. I'm slowly becoming someone else. My actions, my temper, my powers, my appearance. I look in the mirror and see someone else. I'm different, but in the situation I'm in, could I be blamed?

After two weeks, my leg had completely healed. It was a secondary mutation and though I still couldn't use my psychic powers, I could used my healing mutation. Sabretooth passed down the mutation to me, but I didn't have the same level of healing as he did.

While it might take him an hour to fix a bone, it took me weeks. His healing was fast enough to keep him alive when he receives a fatal wound, but I would die before I healed enough. But I was okay with that, I didn't want anything from him. I didn't want to be _near _him.

Not that I had a choice.

He came everyday to my room (I learned that we were at some training and experimenting facility, and that this was not my real room. He just stole the stuff from my room from the old farmhouse before setting my house on fire, and set it back up here). He would try to get me to talk to him, but I would not talk to him. He tried to bring me special foods or gifts, but I still refused to acknowledge him. My ignorance angered him quickly. Most of the time he would settle for destroying things around the room, but every so often he would hurt me. He would stop himself before paralyzing or killing me, and then mutter something about how I'd better learn to treat him better soon, or else I wouldn't be so lucky next time.

The healing ability did come handy. It got me out of bed from the broken leg quick enough. The day that a doctor came into my room and removed my cast, he Okayed me to go to training.

Training, all the time. Fighting men nearly to the death. Running through obstacle courses until I drop. Hunting wild animals. At first I refused to play their games, but Sabretooth started beating and hurting me. The men they made me fight would have no mercy. Just because I didn't want to hurt them, it didn't mean they would feel the same.

Hurt or be hurt, that's the logic here.

I learned quickly that Victor Creed (aka Sabretooth) liked to claim things as his, perhaps the reason he had some sort of weird protectiveness over me. He had no problem with beating me or forcing me to be mentally scarred by the "training" he makes me do. But if some soldier tries to flirt with me at dinner (when he makes me leave my room to eat with him, to have "daddy daughter" time) he would get in their faces and throw them around. Or if he thought someone was disrespecting me, he would snarl at and hurt them. He liked to see me lose my temper (with someone else) and hurt the men during fights, some kind of weird pride about how I'm taking after him.

I guess it's his feral nature to want a "kit". It was also his nature to kill and hurt people if they annoyed him. It's his nature to like to hunt things (animals and humans), and to eat only meat.

Its getting harder everyday for me to control his nature in me.

Along with the enhanced senses, agility, natural fighting skills, and the rapid healing; "daddy dear" past down his feral nature to me.

It was a lot like back at the Institute, when I was thinking like an animal and ready to kill others. Without my psychic powers, it got harder to control the beast within me. The nature of the animal kept me alive in the fights during training, but it also made me go too far.

Like right now, I thought grimly, holding a soldier by the throat against the wall. The man (man, ha! He was barley eighteen!) was sputtering his begs for mercy as his face turned purple. He really didn't seem so pathetic three minutes ago when he swore to the other men that he could "take the little girl".

"Go, on Lioness," Sabretooth purred behind me. Lioness was the codename he chose for me. It sickened me to see he was taking pride in his kit while she held a man's life in her hands. Like a cat bringing home a live mouse to her kitten to play with before eating.

"Snap his neck, make it end."

"Plubss, don't," The man sputtered.

The look he gave me made me let him go. It was the same look I've seen others show before the Sabretooth killed them.

I may be the spawn of a murderer, but that didn't mean I was one.

I turned and started to walk away from the spared man. Trying to regain my calm, a small voice inside of me yelled _"watch out!"_.

I slowly moved my head, just a fraction, and saw the man was up and had out a knife. Carefully he crept towards me, trying not to make a sound. True, I didn't hear him, but I did smell him. I saw Sabretooth start to come over, but I already made my move.

On the spin, I high kicked the man in the face, breaking his nose. Blood flowed from his nose as he clasped into a pathetic form, cowering against the wall.

"Stupid," I spat. "Trying to sneak up on me? What were you trying to do, get back at me? I'm obviously superior in hand to hand fighting, but you wanted to try your luck on being a weasel and _sneaking _up on me. You're pathetic enough, why don't you leave this base and, I don't know, get an honest job? No killing and no skill needed, that's the job I recommend for you."

"Aren't 'ou gonna kill me?" He gasped, trying to stop the flow of blood.

"No. You maybe stupid, pathetic and would have gladly killed me; but I'm not a murderer." I said. I felt Sabretooth come up behind me, I tried not to shiver at his presence.

Turning to make an escape to my room, I heard Sabretooth snort.

"Just cause she won't don't mean I aint gonna." Sabretooth broke the younger man's neck in one quick movement. He looked over at my shocked face and gave me a feral grin. "Yah gotta realise that the world aint rainbows an lollypops, kid. Just cause yah don't wanna kill, it don't mean yah won't. Yah got good instincts, yah just gotta follow through on 'em. When we say "fight to the death", yer actually supposed to finish the job."

"I'm not a murderer like you." I snarled at the large man.

He wrapped his hand around my throat and pushed me up against the wall, my feet dangling. "Thought I told yah not to sass me, kid."

I stared straight into his eyes, knowing that my eyes had the same cat-like look to them. During every training session, they became his eyes. He liked them because my silver eyes "creeped him out". Too much like my "bitch mother's" he said. Everyday it took longer for them to return to normal. I was afraid that if I ever escaped, I would have to go through life with his animal eyes.

He let me go and I dropped to the floor, clutching my throat and gasping for air.

Glaring up at him I asked, "May I go to my room now? Or do I have to eat with you in the mess hall?"

Victor sighed, almost as if it hurt him that I didn't want to eat with him. "Yeah, yah can go."

I got up and walked towards the training arena exit, pleased that I got away with only a mild stranglilation. I knew it was too good to last though. As I typed in the code to open the large metal doors, Creed called to me. "But I want yah to come to my study tonight, round seven. I have some old friends coming over that I want yah to meet."

Study, ha! It was just a room he uses to put his animal head trophies in and drink until he passes out. But still, I knew the only way I could leave this room with only a few bruises.

"I'll be there." I answered emotionlessly, while picturing him burning in Hell.

"Yah know, things would be a lot easier fer yah if yah just accept yer nature and me." He looked at me almost sadly. He murders my real family, takes away my life, hunts me for months, kidnaps me, beats me, mentally torments me; and he wants to guilt me into loving him? To just forget about all the suffering he's put me through and be "daddy's little girl"? Give him corny "world's best dad" mugs on father's day and go out on his killing sprees with him?

Fat chance. The vision of him burning is looking better and better to me.

I gave a short nod to acknowledge that I heard but did not answer.

I quickly made my way up to my room, ignoring greetings from soldiers and scientists. I didn't need my powers to know why they do it (when they're not fighting me during training or sticking me full of needles). Its because they think if they get on Creed's daughter's good side, they'll be safe from him. And, I'm one of the very few women on base. Sure I'm just sixteen, but what do secret government soldiers care for laws about having sex with minors? One scientist actually said he would stop the needles going into my spine during one of those awful tests if I slept with him. Before I could get my claws into his eyes, Creed had run down from the observing deck and snapped his neck. My hero. They weren't supposed to leave the base unless they were on missions or granted leave, but surely there were better pickings than me? I wish they'd hit on the old cafeteria ladies and leave me alone.

Not looking where I was going, I rounded a corner and ran into someone.

"Sorry," I apologized before looking up.

The man I ran into was about fifty or more, dressed in an army suit exactly to regulation. He didn't smell like all the other soldiers here, blood and sweat, but neither did he smell like the scientists and doctors, drugs and blood. He smelled more like, I took another sniff, like a man who tried to wash the blood off his hands. It was that guy, Striker or something, the one who ran this base. I didn't like him at all, he was the one who gave Creed military power and let him do all the killing he wanted as long as he would do his "missions". I didn't really know what this base's purpose was, something about training humans to fight mutants and mutants to do as they're told. They had certain mutants to help capture other mutants, like Creed. He was the one that ordered all the tests to be done on me.

"Hello little one," He gave me a sickly sweet smile, but I knew he didn't like me any more than I him. He's a mutant hater, and will only tolerate the ones that will do his biddings. "You're the lady of the base, aren't you? Cathleen, Victor's daughter." He explained to the other men in suits around him.

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

"Quite powerful telepath and telekinesis. Also has her father's talents." He continued saying to the others, who looked at me hungrily. I felt like he was a farmer trying to sell his cow to prospective buyers. Turning back to me, he gave me that awful smile again. "Yes, we're expecting great things from you. Are you enjoying it here?"

Can you seriously ask that? I'm a prisoner!

Ignoring my glare and the fact that I didn't answer, he continued talking. "I've heard about how your training is coming along very nicely, you're a very talented little lady. Perhaps we'll put you on one of our teams soon, let you get some real life experience. Your father must be very proud of you."

I can't take any more of this, I thought frantically.

"Perhaps you'd like to come to my quarters tonight? We can discuss your future here over some dinner. A pretty little lady like you shouldn't have to eat with soldiers every night." His eyes scanned me, lingering longer than I would have liked, then returned to my gaze. His eyes looked hungry, yarning for something.

You dirty old pervert! I thought astound. You're hitting on me! I think I'm going to be sick. I wonder if dear old dad would kill his boss if he knew he wanted to bang me. So he hates mutants, but not enough that he wouldn't sleep with them. My God, the men must be desperate here, to hit on a teenage girl like me.

I hate this place so much.

"I'm sorry, but Creed wants me to accompany him and some of his old friends tonight." I told him, trying not to flip out.

"Ah well, another time then?" He genuinely looked disappointed. Then forced another smile. "Another time, perhaps? Maybe we could go off base?"

You can offer me Paris and I would still never be alone with you, I thought, but said, "Yeah, sure."

Never going to happen.

"Good good, I'll have my secretary set something up." He then turned his attention back to the other men. "Right this way gentlemen."

Once I was in my room, I flopped down on my bed. Great, a new danger. How am I suppose to avoid the man who runs this base? Should I tell Creed? Actually, that could make things worse. Anything to do with Creed makes things worse.

Well, I don't care what he does or threatens to do, I will do nothing with him! I vowed. I will not do it, and will give up nothing to that old monster!

Thinking about how much I hated the men here, it made me think back to my gentle giant Russian back at the Institute. We left on such bad terms, I wonder if he's still mad at me? Or if he didn't care what happened to me anymore? I haven't stopped thinking about how I should have just told him everything that night, how I should have stayed with him. I should have admitted how much I felt for him.

Some nights when I really feel hopeless and sad, I imagine him coming here and rescuing me. Sure, I've never wanted to play the part of the damsel in distress who needs saving, but now a days I really didn't mind the image of my knight in shining armour coming and taking me away from this place. And me being in his big safe arms, watching a sunset or something corny like that. Being safe with Peter…

Why haven't the X-men come yet? I thought for the thousandth time.

I fell asleep thinking about the Institute, my friends, the X-men, and Peter….


	16. Chapter 16

* I do not own the X-men or their world.

Please review! Please oh please oh please?

_New York_

"_Why haven't you found her yet?" Enormous boy with black hair and blue eyes roared, smashing his fists into the meeting table and causing it to collapse. _

"_Peter, would you get a hold of yourself?" Scott Summers said as Jean used her powers to set the table back into place._

"_Three months you've been looking, but still no sign of her! You aren't doing your jobs! A mutant girl is missing and you X-men just sit around twiddling your thumbs!" Peter accused. _

"_We are looking, we are doing the best we can." Storm rose and tried to get Peter to sit down, but he shook her off. "Losing your temper won't solve anything."_

"_I still can't track down Sabretooth!" Wolverine snarled. "I don't know how or why_

_he's behind this, but I smelled him that first night she disappeared. The key to finding her is him, but no one seen him for ages."_

"_There aren't even his murders on the news any more." Dani Moonstar contributed sadly. _

"_And the Brotherhood ain't gonna talk, yah, we know cher." Gambit seemed aged and tired._

"_Instead of saying why you can't find her, why don't you actually try!" Peter yelled, kicking a chair and making it shatter._

"_PETER, THAT IS ENOUGH!" Jean, usually so calm, yelled rushing up to the boy. "We all feel terribly about not being able to find Shadow. Did you really think we wouldn't? We've all been doing our part to try to find her, while keeping the other students calm, and it still hasn't been enough! You're yelling isn't helping anything. We asked you to this meeting to contribute, not to destroy everything. Now, go out into the hall to cool off for a bit, once you're ready and calm, you may come back inside."_

_Jean's tone softened as she placed a gentle hand on the trembling boy's massive shoulder. "I know you care about Shadow, but the best thing you can for her is to remain calm. Nightcrawler? Why don't you take a walk with Peter, help him become calm."_

_Nightcrawler teleported beside Peter. "I vill do just that f__räulein. Come on friend, let us go."_

_Once Nightcrawler had steered Peter out of the room, everyone let lose a deep sigh._

"_You shouldn't have invited him to the meeting in the first place, Jean." Scott scolded._

"_What was I supposed to do? We've all seen how Peter has acted since Shadow was taken. He hardly leaves his room or hangs out with his friends, he doesn't pay attention during class, just mopes around the place. He gets mad easily and actual has a temper! Peter was the one student in the school that we didn't have to worry about using his powers to harm others, but now he is getting in fights! With his strength, we can't afford for him to fight the other students. I thought showing him that we're working on it would help." Jean defended._

"_The boy's got it bad for the petite fille." Gambit commented._

_Logan rounded on the younger man. "What were you thinking that night, Gumbo? Taking out those kids to bar! And then, you can't even keep an eye on them? Pyro exposed himself as a mutant, Paige was nearly taken home by some forty year old pervert, and would have been if her brother didn't cannonball tackle the guy through the bar's roof! All were so hammered that they couldn't control their powers and we had to come get 'em and erase the others minds! AND SHADOW GOT KIDNAPPED WHILE YOU WERE TRYING TO WOO A TENNAGE GIRL! I swear, if you didn't have Chuck's protection, I'd gut yah right here!"_

"_WOLVERINE, IF YOU CAN'T CALM YOURSELF I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU DO THE SAME THING AS PETER!" Jean roared. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she continued. "We all know Gambit screwed up, big time. He never should have taken the kids out or put the idea in their heads to go to a club. But he didn't know this would happen and we just have to accept what has happened and fix it."_

"_So what are we supposed to do? There are no leads and all previous attempts to find her have failed. Do any of us actually have something to offer at this meeting?" Hank asked the staff, adjusting his glasses._

"_I hate to say this but, knowing Sabretooth's past record, how are we supposed to know he hasn't just raped and murdered the poor girl already? What if we're searching for a corpse?" Scott suggested, everyone turned to look at the leader, appalled._

"_Because Summer's, this wasn't a stray hit with him." Wolverine growled. "He hunted her down and had other men help bring her down. I smelled them, remember? And we suspect it was he who killed her family. No, she was a planned target, he'll keep her alive. But I want to know why, why her."_

"_When me and Logan went up to her Canadian town to look for her, locals told us that a unit of American men lead by a large man was hanging around a few days before the Willow's family's murder. The description they gave us of the large man matched Sabretooth's. Logan is right, he planned this for awhile." Storm said._

"_But how," Dani asked. "Shadow is extremely powerful. How could block her powers enough to take her? "_

"_So we all feel'n that the petite is live'n? Good, next order of business. How do we get her back?" Remy leaned forward on the table, looking at the other X-men._

I was awoken from the vivid dream by a loud knocking at my door. I rubbed my eyes and called groggily, "What?"

A young unfamiliar male voice answered. "A message for the Lioness, may I come in?"

"No." I called back. It was bad enough that ol'Striker boy wanted to get in my pants without letting strange men into my room.

"Uh, alright then." The voice sounded a little disappointed. "Major Creed sent me to remind you that you are expected in his study in fifteen minutes. He also sent a gift for you. He strongly suggests you use his gift tonight."

I groaned and flopped back onto my pillows. "Fine, just leave it out there."

After not hearing departing footsteps, I called. "You can leave now."

"Oh, uh, right."

Once I was sure he was gone using my enhanced senses (I could no longer hear his footsteps echoing in the hall nor smell his scent of sweat, blood, and turnips), I got off my bed and opened the door. I found a medium sized package wrapped in brown paper and groaned. I don't want any more of Creed's stupid presents! I thought angrily, throwing the package into my room and slamming the door. Does he really think I'm stupid enough to be bought by presents? He's just hurting himself (not that I care) by trying, I won't fall for this stupid game so he gets upset.

But when the soldier said "strongly suggests", it means he ordered me to use whatever it was tonight. Rubbing the bruises along my throat that he gave me today, I already knew what happens when I disobey him.

I went over to the discarded gift and placed it on my bed. I wrinkled my nose at its scent, too "Creed" for my taste. It was the scent I learned to hate. Liquor, blood, sweat, forest and something that made me think of dominance. His scent was always in my room because he visited it so often, but it didn't make me used to the scent. Every time I smelt it, I wanted to run away and hide, like a child.

Opening the package, I found a black dress, black strappy shoes, and earrings with diamonds dangling from silver chains. Holding up the dress against me and looking in the mirror, I scowled. It looked to be very form fitting and had a halter like top, so that it revealed almost my whole back. Very short too, I thought, this dress will defiantly show a lot of leg.

I know why he wanted me to be all dressed up, to show off to his friends his "kit". I'm defiantly not beautiful, but maybe a little black dress and diamonds would help. Disgusting. It would probably be easier for him to cut off my head and place it on a plaque and up in his study's walls, like his other trophies than to go to all this bother. I'd wouldn't act so resentful then.

I looked over at the blood and sweat stained training jumpsuit I wore during my morning obstacle courses. Did I dare to wear that to greet his friends?

"No," I sighed audibly. As much as I wanted to rebel, there was a part of me that feared this man too much to anger him. I've seen him kill people with ease, not even having a second thought. Me being his kit may have kept me alive for this long, but I wasn't sure how much longer this would last.

I showered (not because I wanted to make a good impression, but because I was still sticky from the blood and sweat from my last training session) and dressed in the gift. I mournfully put in the earrings, feeling like a complete loser. I made myself feel a little better by not wearing the heals he gave me. It was a defiant enough to make me feel better, and if he got made I could say they didn't fit. I considered spiking up my hair to look more punkish, but then I remembered how much it had grown. Over the three months and with the help of the healing ability, my pixie short hair cut grown shoulder length. I now had to pull it back during training. Sabretooth would not let me cut it, apparently he like his girl to have longer hair.

Making me want to cut it even more.

Settling on pulling it back into a ponytail, I left my room. I muttered darkly as I tried to pull up my dress a little from the behind. It showed all the way down to my tailbone! For not wanting men to flirt with me, Creed sure picked a revealing dress.

Creed's study and other connecting rooms were way above mine. I knew exactly where it was from all the times he made me stay with him there. Usually he would try to get me to watch tv with him (at these times I brought a book) or tried to engage me in conversation as he drank (at these times, I also had a book). Eventually he would get fed up of my ignoring him and let me escape back to my room.

I used my enhanced senses to make sure I would not run into anyone. I had no plans on being caught dressed up like this, especially by a certain creepy general.

I made it to Creed's room with no trouble. I took a deep breath, composing myself, then gently knocked on his door.

A small man with green tinged skin and eyes like Greg's opened the door a smidgen, before opening the door fully and exclaiming. "Whoa!"

I was a little taken back, who was this man? I thought I was sure this was Creed's room, but I might have made a mistake. Before I could do anything, the toad man wrapped a clammy hand around my wrist and pulled my inside the room. "Come join the party! Hey Sabretooth, did you hire some up class hooker for this get together?"

I blushed, my anger rising.

On one of the coucher was a stretched out Creed, a bottle of beer in his hand.

"No yah dumb ass, that's my daughter!" Creed snarled, throwing his beer at the other man. The toad man jumped out of the way of the bottle, and hung onto the ceiling, observing me with his creepy eyes.

"Well, either way, she's hot! Ow!" Another empty bottle flew at the toadman, this time hitting him square in the head and making him fall down to the floor with a thump.

"Lioness, I want yah ta meet some of my old acquaintances, The Brotherhood of Mutants." Creed waved a lazy hand at the others around the room an introduced them.

The toad man was called, well, Toad. Currently he was hanging upside down in the corner on the ceiling, holding his hurt head.

A _very _large man taking up the other couch in the study was Fred Dukes, or Blob. He had super strength. The couched sagged greatly under his weight. He gave me a friendly wave when introduced.

A pale man with silver white hair was laying coolly in Creed's armchair, his legs dangling careless over the arm. He had silver blue eyes and was tall. Quicksilver, Creed called him, but was also known as Pietro. In a flash he was by my side shaking my hand, then back to his original position in no time. Superspeed, I thought absently to myself as I was introduced to the next person.

A boy not much older than me turned from the study's vast bookshelf (the books had belonged to the previous owner of the study, Creed just hadn't thrown them out yet). He had dark brown hair, eyes that reminded me of basalt, and was about six feet tall and thin. He smirked and interrupted Creed before he could finish saying his name.

"Avalanche." He supplied, offering his hand. Trying to be polite, I accepted it, but got quite surprised when instead of shaking it Avalanche took my hand up to his lips and kissed it. I blushed harder. "But pretty girls like you can call me Lance, Lance Alvers."

Creed gave a low growl, either because he did not like being interrupted by the punk or because he was getting fresh with his daughter. Probably both.

"I like your earrings, they real emphasize your stunning eyes, Lioness." Lance complimented, brushing the dangly earrings and "accidently" touching my neck.

Creed looked about ready to kill the boy. Quicksilver seeing the feral man's rage building, he quickly (and I mean _quickly_) pulled the boy away from me and dropped him off across the room from me. Pietro gave his young companion a swift slap up side the head before speeding back to the arm chair.

Good! I thought feverishly, I don't want some thug flirting with me! Especially when I had a dream about Peter!

Thinking back to my dream, I almost moaned audibly. It was so good to see Peter, even if he was showing a side of him I never saw before. It saddened me to hear that he was affected so badly by my kidnapping. I never wanted him to feel like that, especially because of me. It was a little scary to think that I could hurt him that badly, it was like a power I didn't know I possessed. Despite the strange feeling I got from thinking about Peter, I also felt a little hope that the X-men were still looking for me.

My thoughts were yanked back as Creed introduced me to the last man in the room. I knew who he was, of course. I knew who they all were. The Brotherhood of Mutants were the infamous group of mutant terrorists that fought for mutant superiority over humans. I've seen wanted posters of them and heard about how the X-men fought them regularly. I really wasn't surprised to hear Sabretooth was once amongst their ranks. I didn't know too much about the group because I had lived in Canada, but once I reached the States, I quickly learned about places they struck that weren't too mutant friendly because of them.

The last man who was staring out the window absently was the leader of the mutants.

X-men are to Brotherhood as Charles Xavier is to-

"Magneto." I whispered, dumbfounded. If it wasn't strange enough to see the other wanted mutants, this was the icing on the cake to see Erik Lehnsherr standing before me. He had on his famous red helmet that could prevent telepaths from entering his mind. I don't care how advanced that helmet is, I thought, its still goofy looking.

The villain turned and smiled, offering his hand. "Hello little one. It is a great honor to finally meet my old friend's daughter."

This is so weird, who would think super villains had such manners? I thought, accepting his hand. I am shaking the hand of the most wanted mutant in the whole world…this is so weird.

"How did you get in here?" I blurted out. "I mean, this is a secret base, full of security."

If they can get in, can I get out.

"A good question." Magneto looked up to Creed who had come up behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder (I tried not to shudder). "Why is it Victor that you have asked us here tonight?"

Creed led/forced me back to his couch and made me sit beside him. He took another sip of beer before answering.

"Well, yer see, my new employers been looking fer you guys." He said calmly. Everyone in the room tensed, preparing themselves for men with guns to come crashing in. But none came.

"Oh, they have, have they?" Magneto said calmly. "Along with everyone else in the country. So are we too presume you have, what's the phrase, sold us out?"

The room started to shake violently, causing books to fall off the shelves and for Toad to jump into Blob's arms. I looked around and saw the earthquake was being caused by Avalanche. His eyes looked to be pure stone and all the ripples were coming from him.

"Calm yerself, I'm not turning yah in." Creed called over the sounds of falling objects. With my enhanced hearing, I could hear men shouting from above and below us about an earthquake. "I have a proposition fer yah."

The earthquake continued until Magneto called to Lance.

"That is enough, Avalanche." He said sternly. The rock eyes looked over to Magneto, who gave them a look. Slowly, the shaking subsided and his eyes turned normal again.

Oh sure, they let mutant terrorists keep their powers, but not me, I grumbled to myself.

"Like I was saying, my employers want yah all to work with em." Creed continued.

Seeing that Creed was occupied by business, I look advantage of the moment and edged away from him. I didn't dare leave the couch completely, but I got far enough that I felt better.

"They'll let yah off of all charges, if yah assist with a certain mission fer em. No more being hunted down, and y'll actually get paid." Creed looked each mutant in the eye, letting his words sink in.

"And what will we actually _do_, Creed? If you haven't remembered, we have a cause to work for." Quicksilver asked. "Mutants are still being treated like dirt well these homo sapiens rule. What do you want us to do? Forget everything we stand for and go to work for these animals?"

Creed growled lowly at the other man, his cat like eyes glowing in the dim lighted room.

"Hey hey hey! Lets not be hasty here!" Toad jumped out of Blob's arms landing close to Magneto. "What's so bad about not having the cops on our trials and getting some decent dough?"

Quicksilver was instantly in Toad's face, and slammed him up against the wall.

"What's so bad, you pathetic little toad, is that we'd be working for homo sapiens and throwing away all our noble work!" Pietro snarled.

"Peace Pietro." Magneto said sternly. Quicksilver gave Toad one more thump against the wall before letting him go.

"Maybe you'd actually like to tell them what the purpose of this base is, Victor." A soft mysterious feminine voice said. A cerulean blue skinned woman with feline yellow eyes and orangey red hair had entered the room. Even with my enhanced senses, I didn't hear her. Even stranger, I couldn't smell her. The woman had no scent! I thought, shocked.

Just like the others, I knew perhaps the most famous and deadly member of the Brotherhood, Mystique. A shape shifter with unnatural flexibility, and a master of almost all fighting arts and weapons.

"Raven." Creed greeted. It was hard to tell whether it was a sneer or smile that played on his face. "I thought yah weren't coming."

"Do not talk to me, traitor. And don't you _dare _use that name." Mystique hissed, sliding in beside Magneto.

"What is it my dear?" Magneto asked the woman.

"This base is for capturing mutants and experimenting on them!" She snarled in Creed's direction. "Creed hunts our own kind and hands them off to these barbarians!"

This raised an uproar amongst the others in the room. A chill went down my back at the thought of experimenting and capturing people just because they have an active X gene; but that's just the way of our world now a days. What was even more disturbing is knowing that Sabretooth would help this cause. But I knew all this before. I knew they were experimenting with my DNA to try to make weapons and to control mutants. I knew they were training me to do the same as Creed.

It scared the hell out of me.

"Just calm yerselves! I can explain!" Creed roared, getting to his feet and shoving the couch away.

"Explain why you would betray your own kind!" Quicksilver yelled back.

In a flash Quicksilver was upon Creed. He threw instant punches as the large man and moved before Creed could stop the assault or hit him back. The others soon got the idea

and started to attack Creed.

Lance gave me a small apologetic smile "Sorry about having to kill your dad." Than began his earthquakes again.

"Enough!" Creed roared as Mystique high kicked his head. Whipping out a small remote looking device, everything stopped. Toad, who was attempting to leap onto Creed's head, suddenly fell with a painful thud. The small mental objects that were flying towards Creed's heart stopped, floating in midair.

They all just stopped, I thought astounded.

"Now that I've got yer attention, yah can listen." Creed growled. "Yes, my employers capture and experiment on mutants. Just nobodies, who cares bout em? Yer all fighting a lost battle, I'm just smart enough to pick a winning side."

"What did you do to them?" I asked, gently prodding Lance's arm.

"Just a little gadget Stryker gave me before asking me to enlist the Brotherhood's help. They can't use their powers, can't even move. But they can listen." Creed walked around Magneto, a predator circling its helpless prey. "Stryker wants Charles Xavier's School fer Gifted children. They've been working on some project involving mutant DNA, don't know much bout it other than that. But they haven't been able to collect the DNA samples fast enough or the right kind. Level 5 mutants er kind of hard ter find, aren't they? But Xavier's, that place is packed full of mutants, they're bound to find what they need."

I felt a small twitch in my mind, signalling that the forces keeping my psychic powers sedated were weakening. It had happened a few times before, but this time it felt more powerful than the others. They weren't strong enough for me to break out of the base, but they could come in use. But how?

"Stryker has a plan. Half of yah guys causes a disturbance far from the school, big enough to bring out all the X-men. Once they're out of the picture, the rest of yah and the other mutants working fer Stryker goes in and gets the students." Creed purred. Creed began to go around and put the same metal bracelets that I had on my wrists onto the Brotherhood. "Stryker has it a bit more complicated than that, but that's the gist of it."

The only two left that didn't have on the bracelets were Lance and Mystique, I had to make my move now! Once those bracelets were on, their powers would be blocked like mine.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and connected my mind to Creed's. I had barely any power. Before I seemed like I could do anything, but this was hard. My nose started to bleed but I didn't have my whole mind merged with Creed's like before when I would use my telepathic powers on someone. Some perks to being weaker, I thought absently, wiping away my blood from my nose.

I stopped what he was doing and put him in somewhat of a coma on his feet, so that I could have time to do what I needed.

Finding, with a lot of difficulty, the memory of seeing Lance and Mystique was erased. Everything to do with them here tonight was taken from Creed's mind.

Taking another breath, I pulled myself out of his mind, but still kept a hold on his mind enough to keep him comatose.

Using my powers, I awoke Lance and Mystique. They both looked around in shock. I started shaking from all the power being used to keep them awake and free.

"We're free? But how? W-what happened to him? He just stopped moving. And your nose, its-" Lance stated.

"Bleeding, yeah, that happens. Listen, I'm not sure how much more time I have to do this, so I'll make it quick. I took away any memories of him seeing you two here tonight. He didn't put the bracelets on you that will block your powers, so you can use them to get away. You have to get away from here and warn Xavier about Stryker's planned attack." I was now shaking to stay conscious. It was taking so much power that I didn't have to do this…

"I'm not leaving them!" Mystique snarled at me, grabbing Magneto's shoulder.

"Its too late for the others. I don't have enough power to remove the bracelets or the memories." I slurred, falling to my knees. Lance hurried over to me to help me stand back up, but I shook my head. I pulled his head close to mine to hear. "You can save them with the help of the X-men. Have them come here to stop the attack and free the mutants."

"And we're to just accept that you're to betray your father?" Mystique asked sceptically.

"I owe nothing to that monster." I hissed, my vision starting to go black.

"What about you? Come with us." Lance asked holding me in his arms.

Crap I am in no mood for this guy!

"I, don't have the power to leave. Get, the X- X-me…" It was getting harder and harder to stay awake. Shit, am I dying? I wondered. "Get the X-men. Go."

The last thing I saw before all went black was Mystique taking the form of a base soldier, grabbing Lance away from me and dragging him out the door. With all the hope left in me, I prayed that the two would put aside their differences with the heroes and bring them here. That the X-men would actually believe them and come. That I would be saved.


	17. Chapter 17

_*The X-men and their world belongs to Marvel_

_Just a note, some parts are written from Peter's point of view._

_Please review! I'd really appreciate it!_

When I came to, I was in my bedroom/prison. It took me a few seconds to realize that it was evening (I must have been out at least a day, since it was night when I went to Creed's room) and that Creed was sitting at my side. His feline eyes watched me carefully as I sit up and took a drink of water from the glass on my bedside table.

Oh crap, does he know what I did? I wondered as I sipped the water. Probably not, since I'm still alive.

"How're doing?" Creed asked, taking the now empty glass from my shaking hand and placing it back down. "Yah were out for nearly two days. What happened? Those egghead doctors couldn't explain it, just said you were comatose."

So they don't know I used my powers, I thought with relief. Even better, he doesn't know I used them on _him_.

"Yah actually scared me kid. Didn't know when yah come to." Creed told me gruffly, as if embarrassed for being worried about another person.

So its okay to bruise and choke me, but you'll worry about me if I get hurt and you don't cause it. Completely mental.

"Come on, say something. Whatever happened didn't cause brain damage did it?" Creed asked me worriedly, edging closer to me.

"I'm okay." I croaked. Clearing my throat, I tried again. "Uh, I don't know what happened. Maybe Magneto's powers broke loose for a little bit and he made my blood flow the other way?"

I heard about the man doing that sort of thing before and I needed to blame my condition on something. If they didn't have an answer now, they might go looking and find out what really happened. Something that couldn't happen if I wished to continue living.

Creed snarled. "Sounds like something the bastard would do. Well, yah're alright now."

I gave him a weak smile, which made him give a shocked look back at me.

Oh yeah, I guess this would be the first time I smiled at him, I realised. Realising this, I came up with a plan.

With Mystique and Lance going for help and bringing the X-men back here soon, I need to save my strength. I could feel a little bit of my power, as if a well inside of me was filling up slowly after running dry. Once they come, they'll need all the help they can get. If I can just save my strength, I can help them. It could be worth it, even if it means pretending to give in to Sabretooth. I could save a lot of power by not having to heal from him breaking my bones every second day.

Then again, its going to take a lot of power to pretend to love the monster.

"So, um, did you get the Brotherhood?" I asked, trying to make conversation with him and not barf. It was a revolting thought, talking with this beast.

"Yeah, I got em." He grinned, showing his fangs. "Stupid bozos. They could have just done the job and be done with it but because they acted like morons, they're being sedated and tested on. I gave em a chance and they threw it in my face."

"That was so stupid of them." I agreed, nodding while thinking, _poor Brotherhood. Even if they're terrorist, no one deserves Stryker's mad scientists doing their cruel experiments on them._

"Yeah," Creed looked a little suspicious at the thought of me agreeing with him, but said nothing. "So, uh, are yah alright?"

"I'm completely fine. Whatever Magneto did, it's not affecting me any more." I answered, trying to keep my poker face.

"So you'll be up to having dinner with me and my men?" I knew what he was doing. He knew how much I despised having to eat with him and the soldiers, but I couldn't turn it down with the excuse that I was still ill.

Forcing a smile and trying to keep my voice calm I answered, "Sure, I think I'm up to that. Course I want to shower and get dressed."

"Alright then," Creed stood, still looking at me suspiciously. "Let's go."

Stiffly I got out of bed and followed Creed to the door while he continued to throw back mistrustful looks back at me.

Turning off my lights and closing the door, I sighed. I'm not sure how long I can keep this act up. I'll just have to hope that the X-men will believe the Brotherhood members and come help us. After all, it's not only my life that is at stake here but all the students at Xavier's, the poor mutants already locked up here, and the Brotherhood.

Come on guys, I thought to them, we really need you.

"So now you're telling me that after all this time of looking for Shadow, all this time of saying that you just haven't done anything because you had no leads, that we have to wait some more time? Shadow doesn't have time!" I hollered. "We need to act now!"

"Peter, sit down!" Scott commanded me. "We can't trust those two, their part of the Brotherhood. Their just trying to lead us into a trap."

"A trap where we go and rescue the Brotherhood and all the other mutants at this facility, while the Avengers protect the students? Why would they bother adding the part about this Stryker man attacking the school if it was just a trap? To make sure there would be some more superheroes to run the school once they take out the X-men? By the White Wolf, Scott how could you be this stupid? Глупый идиот" I snarled.

The teachers looked at me in shock, but I only felt ashamed for a moment. Never before have I disrespected my elders and teachers so, but ever since this happened to Shadow and the X-men have done little to help her, I've changed. Sometimes at night I feel her in my dreams, as though our minds were connected and she was reaching out to me for help.

Pushing aside my embarrassment, I stood tall and looked down at the so called heroes.

Shadow was alive but who knew how much longer? She needed me, and I wasn't about to let her down just because the information came from not the most reliable characters. I believed them, I had to. This was the first lead to Shadow we had, and I was going to take it, even if I didn't have the X-men behind me.

"Jean and the Professor are going through Mystique's and Avalanche's minds now, but they are having difficulty. There was something done to their minds that makes it hard from psychics to penetrate and make sense of." Storm supplied.

"Magneto probably made something to cause that, so our psychics couldn't learn the truth about their scheme." Scott said, trying to back up his argument that they were lying.

I gritted my teeth at my teacher. I decided that I had two choices, throw Cyclops through the wall or get out of there before I did. I stormed through the large wooden doors of the meeting room and slammed them shut on my way out making them shatter. I continued down the hallway to the courtyard where I found a stone bench. Sitting down on it, I held my head in my hands and tried to calm myself down.

What was wrong with me? I could hardly control my temper any more, which was dangerous with my strength. I could no longer take peace in my art. These days that I would try to paint I usually ended up tearing it up and half my room. I even had to get my own room because of my rages! I was becoming something I despised, and I couldn't help myself.

I was ashamed of how I've been acting, but the anger strangely helps. I can turn my sadness for Shadow into anger, and its like for that while that I'm in a rage I can't feel her. I don't want to feel her anymore, it just reminds me of how I've been failing her. A reminder that if I stopped her that night this would have never happened.

I don't want to feel her presence of sadness and hurt that I've been sensing in my dreams, I want to feel the real her, all of her, right here beside me safe.

This is crazy. I only knew her for such a short while, but I've never cared for anyone this much in my life. The moment her beautiful silver eyes met mine, I knew I had to be with her. Every time she smiled her perfect smile or laughed, I wanted to just be with her forever. When she was sad, I wanted to comfort her and make her laugh again. Everything about her drew me in. I really believe in love at first sight now.

I sighed, but I've failed her. Whatever horrors she's been through are because I couldn't protect her and because I couldn't save her.

Until now.

"- so we burned down his bar and left his tip with the firefighters who showed up." The captain finished as the soldiers and Creed roared with laughter at the horrid story. I faked a smile and took a drink so I had an excuse not to laugh. So far this evening has been awful. After Sabretooth found us some seats with the men and they discovered that I wasn't being my usually cold withdrawn self, they accepted me as "one of the boys".

Except I don't think they'd flirt this much if I was one of the boys.

"Here darl'n, want a sip of this? Might loosen yah up a bit, we'll have a real good time then." The soldier beside me offered me his beer bottle, waving it in my face.

I tried not to grimace too much when some of it splashed up into my face. "Nah, I'm good thanks." I replied, trying to keep my voice friendly. Sabretooth was having a good time with the men and I didn't want to change his mood by being cold once more to these men.

"Aw, come on. Just a sip for yer old buddy Hank." The drunken man continued, pushing the bottle into my face again.

"Really, I'm fine." I answered more firmly.

"What, the Lioness aint a drinker? Is the Lioness a pussy?" A younger soldier was paying attention to his comrade and me, leaned closer. I tried not to gag when he breathed an over powering stench into my face.

"She already said she didn't want any, yah stupid prick." Creed snarled, backing handing the smaller man with such a force that he flew off the bench and slammed into the wall. A few moments after hitting the wall, the man tried to get up but slumped back down and did not get up again. To my relief, my enhanced sense assured me that Creed didn't kill him, just knocked him out.

"I'm done fer the night." Creed mumbled to the soldiers who were staring at him with fearful looks. He stood up and looked down at me. "Come on Lioness."

Deciding that I really didn't have a choice in the matter, I followed him out of the mess and into the hall. Though he must have drunken no less than a keg, the alcohol had little affect on him. He didn't swagger as he walked down the hall or slur his words. The only signs that he had been drinking were the awful smell. I guess his size and healing factor prevented him from getting really drunk. So why does he do it? He can't actually like the awful beer they offered on the base (I constantly hear how bad it is from the soldiers).

Strange…

"Yer welcome." Creed murmured as he led me through a door (after using a card to unlock the door) and outside. I raised a questioning eyebrow, wondering both of what he meant and where he was leading me. He continued to walk across the grounds, nodding at soldiers on watch.

"Pardon?" I asked, not sure if I had heard right.

"Fer back there, with the soldier. Yer welcome." He repeated. He finally stopped walking to look down at me. What? Is he looking for a pat on the back for using what he thinks to be manners? I thought shrewdly. I must have been wrong; that he has to be drunk to be saying things like "yer welcome".

I was about to tell him that I didn't need his 'help' when dealing with these animals, that I've had enough practice since he kidnapped me and held me captive here. But I thought better of it.

"Oh, right. Thanks." I said. He gave a curt nod and began walking again. He didn't say anything more or stopped walking until we got to the end of the woods that surrounded the base.

"Yer like yer mum." He mumbled. "Stubborn, beautiful, and gots spirit. She was the only one who wasn't afraid of me, yah know? Guess she saw me as a challenge, that's why she started running with me in the first place."

Okay, that was random… I thought. Maybe he really was affected by the alcohol.

"But then she started changing me, yah know? Made me feel ashamed of who I was. I couldn't kill anyone; just couldn't bring myself to do it because of her. She didn't catch on that I figured out that she was using her damn powers to mind meddle my head. She was so clueless that when she found out she was pregnant, she actually thought that we could settle down and raise yah. I had to show her that I wasn't some pet…I went too far…" He was looking up at the starry night, not letting me see his face. I might be crazy, but I could have sworn I heard remorse in the Sabretooth's gruff voice. "But than I found about yah, saw yah in that vision. I asked her to stay, told her that I really did want yah and her. But she wouldn't. She tried to leave me. But I couldn't let her take yah away, fer her to go away…"

"She didn't do well in captivity." He finally looked down at me, and for a moment I thought I saw crystal blue human eyes instead of the golden feline ones that I despised. "She withdrew herself from the world, from me. She kept trying to get away, but I stopped her every time. Until eventually she just…stopped. Wouldn't leave her room, wouldn't shower, wouldn't turn on the lights. She never stopped eating though or do anything to hurt herself, guess that was because of you. But once you were born and she held yah, her light came back. I thought she changed her mind about us as a family."

"But then she tried to get away again, this time she actually did. She took yah and I couldn't allow that. Yah were my kit . Mine." Creed didn't say anything more for moments that felt like years. I stood still and silent, not sure what I was feeling. Hearing all this scared me, angered me, saddened me…but I couldn't feel any of those emotions for more than a moment before another took its place.

Why is he telling me all this? I wondered, tortured by a horrid past I couldn't remember. That first night that I was here , he made it seem like my biological mother meant nothing to him. I felt sick knowing that I came from a woman who would be with the monster, but now I was confused. She was trying to change him for the better, stop his killing sprees. But still, what kind of woman

would love a monster like Victor Creed?

"Yer my kit." Creed sighed, pulling off his shirt and throwing onto the ground. With that he got on all fours and sprinted into the woods, like an animal.

I was left standing there, more confused than I have ever been in my life.

"-and these two know where to find Shadow." I whispered to my friends. I had asked a few trusted friends of Shadow to meet me at midnight by the school's orchard. They listened in silence as I told them about that Lance guy and Mystique, and what they have said about Shadow, the military base that experiments on mutants and the planned attack on the school.

"Whao, this is pretty heavy." John scratched his head, and let out a breath.

"I don't know, Peter. How do we know that they aren't ly-" Jubilee asked.

"We can't really. I heard Storm and Scott talking in the hall about that the Professor still couldn't get through some new people's minds. I didn't know what they were talking about though." Kitty told the others quietly. "But what they said is too important to just push away. This is the first thing we've heard about Shadow, our first lead. Plus, if they're right about the school, we can't just let it happen."

I grinned at my oldest friend that I made since coming to this country, I knew I could always count on her.

"This is all so crazy. It doesn't matter if we believe them, it's the X-men that have to if something is going to be done." Jubilee said stubbornly.

"Actually, that's not true." Rogue's eyes met mine. "Petey asked us here not only ta tell us what's been on the teachers' minds, but for volunteers. Isn't that right?"

I nodded. "I propose that we do something to save Shadow and protect the school. I'm going after her, with you guys or not, but I needed to know that you guys were at least warned."

"That is very bold and romantic, mon ami," Remy drawled. I didn't invite him here tonight, but I guess I sort of did by asking Rogue. The two have been inseparatable since that night Shadow was taken. "But yah won't have to do dis alone. It is Gambit's fault for her been taken, so I will help get her back."

He and I shared a look. He knows that I have partially blamed him for her being taken, not any more than I blame myself though. I have not talked to him since she was taken, not even been in the same room in fear that I'd lose my temper and hurt him. But the moment he said he would help save her, I felt a new respect and forgiveness for the former thief.

"Ah'm coming too." Rogue said boldly.

"Rogue, I don't want you to be in dang-" Remy frown and started to tell her not to go, but Rogue interrupted him.

"Ah owe it to her. She's my friend and has given me something that Ah thought Ah'd never have again. Ah need to do whateve Ah can ta help her." Rogue said firmly. She held the Cajun's eyes until he sighed in defeat and pulled her close to him once more, taking care not to have skin contact.

"Me too. My power can be useful, help her get out of any prison they have her in." Kitty said, meeting the eyes of everyone, daring them to tell her she couldn't go. No one took on the challenge.

"I'll help as well." Rahne said, coming to stand beside me. She put a gentle hand on my shoulder and gave me a comforting look. "She'll be okay Peter."

I was beginning to feel a swell of hope within my chest as my other friends volunteered for the mission. Everyone made a vow to help until it was only John and Jubilee left unspoken.

"Listen, Shadow is a nice girl and all, but I just don't think I'm ready to go on some wild goose chase that might end up killing me." Jubilee said, crossing her arms.

"We can't all go." Bobby said rationally. "Remember what Peter said about the attack on the school?"

"That's right." I admitted. As much as I wanted as many people as I could find to go save Shadow, I still had to think of all the other students. "We need people to stay and help defend the school."

After much argument, we decided that Gambit, Rogue, Rahne, Kitty, Bobby, Robert and I would go while Paige, John, Jubilee, and the others would stay. Not only would they be ready if the attack did come, but they were going to secretly ask the Avengers to keep an eye out for the school as well as warn the older students that took they Danger Room sessions.

"I really appreciate all this." I said thankfully. "Now come on, we don't have much time."

We broke into two groups. While everyone rushed off to get supplies, prepare the X-jet that we were going to steal, get Lance to help find the base, or just say their goodbyes; I went directly to the hanger. I had already prepared my supplies, knowing that I was leaving to find her tonight, with or without the other's help.

"You're all nuts, you know that?" I heard a gruff voice say behind me.

I spun around to see Logan lighting a cigar. I scowled, not sure if I'd have to fight him (which I could probably not do, despite my super strength and steal skin).

"So are you going to try to stop us?" I said calmly, preparing myself for a fight. Shadow's waited more than three months, and I wasn't going to make her wait any more because of Logan.

'No." Logan admitted, taking a puff from his cigar. "But I'm coming with you kids. Gumbo isn't going to be much help, and you kids need adult supervision. And someone to fly the X-jet."

That's right, I remembered. Shadow was one of his "kits". Plus more of his litter were coming on this mission. He can't just let them go alone.

He took one more puff before extinguishing the cigar in his hand.

"Come one, lets go save the damsel." He muttered before leading me to the hanger.

Don't worry Shadow! I thought, we're coming for you!


	18. Chapter 18

My disturbing conversation was still haunting me, three days later. He didn't come back from the forest till yesterday and didn't say anything else. I sort of wanted to try and get him drunk again, to see if he would say anything more about the mother I never knew; but decided better of it. The other times I've seen him drunk, he usually got more violent and abusive; not the hurt opening up beast I witnessed before.

Besides, I thought sarcastically, we're getting along _so _well.

Our relationship went from "I despise you and wish you would die" and "Respect me or I'll hit you again" to me only thinking I despise you and wish you would die, but acting like daddy's loyal little girl and him lapping it up like a cat with milk. He had no clue how I still felt about him. Or rather, he showed no sign of knowing. As stupid as I might think he is, I know he can't really believe I would just change my mind about him, just like that. I don't know why he hasn't called on me yet, but he hasn't. He's been playing along with this act, almost as much as I have.

Currently we were in the training area. We were supposed to be a team of two, taking out the team of sixty soldiers. Ten of the soldiers were mutants, like us, added to increase the difficulty. So far we only had eight soldiers remaining to take, one of them a mutant, so I guess they didn't make it hard enough. Creed had taken out most of them (thankfully, he didn't kill any of them), and all of the mutants. I was playing along with their stupid game taking care to take out the soldiers with no permanent injuries), but I purposely avoided the mutants. Though I didn't even know them, I felt as if it would be betraying my people. I wasn't an extremist who believed that mutants and humans were completely different species and one was above the other, I did tend to think that mutants should stick up for each other.

He no longer hurt me, but he still made me do this training. I think he wanted me to help attack the Xavier Institute with the others because he was making me do a lot more training than usual. And as much care as I put into this act, if the time came that I was ordered to attack my first home in years, I would refuse. It would give away my character, but I couldn't attack and hurt the place and those in it.

"Lioness, stay focussed." Creed hissed at me, bringing back my attention to the situation.

We were hiding in some long grass, getting ready to attack. The remaining eight had formed a group and were staying in a tight circle, staying strictly defensive. Creed took a sniff and I followed suit, trying to figure out which one was the mutant. Unlike the other nine, this mutant looked human.

"I think I got him, you go after the humans." Creed whispered to me. By the fourth mutant, Creed had realised that I was avoiding the mutants. He thought I was avoiding the mutants because I didn't think I could take them, not having an idea of the real reason. Either way, we had an unspoken understanding that he'd be the one to go after them.

I nodded, acknowledging that I heard him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him doing a count down.

3,

2,

1!

I leapt out of our hiding spot and leapt kicked one of the soldiers, taking him by surprise. Sabretooth let out a frightening roar as he followed suit and went after the tallest soldier. Thinking that he was taking care of the mutant, I spun away from my victim in time to stop a blow from another soldier. It took longer to disarm this one since he pulled out a knife a little into our duel, but I succeeded. Dropping into a crouch, I kicked and knocked another soldier's legs from under him while dodging another hit from a different soldier.

By the time they were knocked out, I was spurting a bloody lip and a black eye. I had enough of these stupid war games, but the new attack didn't feel the same. I dropped and rolled to avoid his flaming leg.

"What the hel-" The guys leg really was on fire! Along with the rest of him! He was the mutant Sabretooth was supposed to be fighting.

Rolling to safety, I took a crouched position in case I had to dodge another flaming part of this guy's anatomy. I took a quick glance over at Creed. He was still fighting the same tall soldier, but now the soldier had become some kind of rubbery substance that could easily avoid Creed's attacks by stretching and wrapping himself around Creed's arms and legs to stop attacks.

"You know what secret government bases are great at? Lying." I told the mutant calmly. Ignoring my talk, the mutant lept at me with fiery fists.

I swiftly dodged him and continued talking. "Like, they might have told you that you'll be safe from them if you join them or that they can make you human or something. In my case, they told me there were only ten mutants to fight. See? Total liars."

He ran at me in attempt to tackle me but I jumped over him, barely missing the large flames on his shoulders. "But we don't have to do this. We don't have to listen to the liars. We can choose not to hurt each other. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Gibing up on physically attacking me, the soldier took to throwing balls of flames at me. They were much faster and harder to dodge, a few even singeing my jumpsuit. I did a series of flips and swirls to avoid being burned. I didn't talk again until I was "safe" behind a stone wall.

"Okay, so you still want to hurt me." I heard and smelled the soldier come up on the other side of the wall. I quickly made sure Sabretooth was occupied before lowering my voice and whispering to the soldier. "Would you still hurt me if you knew that this base wasn't going to running soon? That you'd be free to walk away?"

That stopped the attack. The soldier paused before saying in an even quieter voice. "That's impossible. I can never just walk away."

I was taking a huge risk here…

"Very soon a group of people like us will be coming to rescue the mutants being kept here. They're going to make sure that these guys are destroyed and won't be able to hurt our kind any more." My voice was barely louder than a breath now. "We'll be free."

"They have my sister, they'll hurt her if I do anything to upset them." The soldier's voice turned from wishful to doubtful and wary. "How am I supposed to trust you? You're the beast's over there daughter. You're one of them."

"I'm just as much as a prisoner as you. And they are going to hurt a lot of people when they attack the Xavier Institute, I can't allow that." I whispered, keeping an eye on Creed. "I guess you really don't have a reason to trust me. I just want you to know that something big is coming and I just want you to be on the right side."

I stayed very still but ready. I half expected the mutant soldier to come around the wall and fry me. He couldn't trust me any more than I could him. For all I know he made up that story about his sister to distract me or to get me to tell him more about what the X-men were planning so that he may tell his bosses for a bonus.

And then the soldier's blond head stuck around the wall, it was only now that I realized what an extraordinary colour of green his eyes were. He put his hands behind his head and knelt before me.

"I don't want to hurt you, kid. You're bout the same age as my kid sister and Lord knows that I don't want any more kids so young to suffer." He looked up at me, a hopeful look on his determined face. "Knock me out and arrange me so it looks like there was a struggle. You'll have me by your side if and when these friends of yours come. I'm Bryan by the way. "

"Cathleen. Thank you." I felt a huge relief. I used a bit of the psychic power I've been saving for days to put him to sleep, to save him the pain of being physically knocked out and the pain of coming to afterwards.

He fell face down. I arranged him so that it looked like I snuck up behind him to knock him out. Satisfied with my work, I left him and went after Creed and the man he was fighting. With the two of us mutants against one, we finally neutralized our opponent.

"Take that you bastard!" Creed roared gleefully, giving the unconscious man a hearty kick. Turing to me he said, "God, that took long enough. Yah pull a couple of good moves today Lioness, yah've earned supper."

He slung a large sweaty arm over my shoulder and led me out of the arena. Medics were now scurrying onto the battle field and carrying to the men. I watched two men go over to the soldier Bryan and put him on a stretcher.

I must have paused for a moment because Creed said to me, "Hey kid, yah got a crush or something on one of these jarheads? Because then I'll have to rip the guy's throat out." He chuckled darkly.

"Uh, no way." I quickly turned my head back in front of me and started walking faster towards the exit. "The guy was just a worthy fighter. So what was with that last guy?"

With the subject changed, Creed talked all about how he beat the "bastards" today. I let my mind wander, occasionally nodding my head so Creed wouldn't know that I wasn't paying attention.

Where were the X-men? By now Mystique and Lance should have reached them by now. Did they not believe them? Did the two rogues even go? I thought I had used enough power to make them go but now I was second guessing myself.

Or maybe the X-men weren't the heroes I thought they were, I thought down heartedly.

No, I can't think like that, I told myself sternly. I have to keep on believing that they'll come and free us. That we'll be able to prevent the attack on the school.

I glanced out the window and at the X-jet free sky, a feeling of a light going out in my chest.

_Three days previous_

"_Okay, everyone onto the jet." I whispered to my friends. It had taken us roughly half an hour to pack and get that Lance guy, but finally we were gathered around the X-Jet, ready to go._

_Everyone was about to pile into the jet when a small soft voice came out from behind a work table covered with tools. "Can I come to?"_

_A small green girl, hardly six, stepped out into the open. She was wearing a nightgown with ribbons all over it and delicate slippers. In one hand she held a large stuffed carrot and in the other a little red backpack. Though her face was sweet and innocent, there was a defiant look of determination on her small green face. _

_I looked at her in surprise for what must have been a minute. Who was this- oh right. She was one of the kids that was traveling with Shadow. I think her name is Leah. By the White Wolf, she's tiny._

_She stepped up to me, boldly but gracefully. Though she barely came above my knee (though to be honest, I am large than most people), she stared up at me with no fear. _

"_I know you guys are gonna help Shadow." Her high sweet voice told me. "And I wanna help too."_

"_How the he- I mea," Realising how young Leah was, Gambit changed his choice of words. "How did a petite petite like you found out?" _

"_My plants told me." She told the Cajun confidently. "You guyes was talking in the orchard, and the trees thought I'd wanna know. So can I come, please? I promise I'll be good, plus my plants can help you."_

"_She talks to plants." Remy said, dumbfounded. "These enfants just keep getting weirder and weirder."_

"_I'm not weird." Leah told the Cajun. I had sat down on the wheel of the jet and the little girl crawled up onto my knee. _

"_Shadow likes you, and she trusts you, so I guess I'm supposed to too. Even if you are a giant." Her pretty green eyes stared up into mine. "Please let me help?"_

_Her eyes were almost hypnotising, I almost said yes. I wanted to give this sweet child everything when she smiled and looked at me like that. But I knew I couldn't._

_I took Leah off my knee and place her down on the wheel in my place. I got down on my knees and looked straight into her eyes, a technique my own parents used with me when I was small._

"_Leah, I'm sorry but you can't come." I told her gently. Her lip quivered, but she didn't say anything and let me continue. "Its too dangerous for you."_

"_I don't mind, I can be brave." She told me earnestly. A few of my friends had to cover their mouths to hide their smiles._

"_I don't doubt that one bit." I replied. "But this isn't a matter of braveness. I'd bet you'd be a lot braver than most of us on this trip, but that doesn't change the fact that you're only five."_

"_Six." She told me sternly. _

"_Right, six." I smiled. "You need to be an adult to come. And I think you know that Shadow would kill us if we put you in danger."_

_She nodded grudgingly._

"_But Leah, we do have a job for you." The little green girl suddenly perked up at my words. "You have to keep a secret. You can't tell any of the teachers that you saw us, okay? At least not until tomorrow. Can you do that for me? For Shadow?"_

_She gave an exasperated sigh, one too much like Shadow's that I had to hide my grin. "Okay, I guess."_

_She wrapped her tiny arms around my neck in a hug before adding. "Please bring her home soon."_

_She then hopped off the wheel and toddled off, leaving us to begin the mission._

"_You'd better be able to give that little girl what she wants, Pete." Bobby said to me as we walked up the ramp and into the jet. _

"_I really hope I can." I sighed, trying not to think of the horrible option of failing this mission. _


	19. Chapter 19

_*The X-men and their world belong to Marvel_

_So the characters in this story are a little moved around, as you've probably noticed. I've pretty much taken my favourite versions of X-men and Brotherhood characters and put them where I wanted. This really isn't based on a certain comic series, just my own screwed up mind doing whatever I want _

Another two days past in this base and I was becoming more and more anxious. Every bang or crash I heard, I expected the X-men to come crashing in and save us. I looked more often at the sky.

Like at the moment I was sitting on a wall close to the training arena and gazing up at the clear empty sky and wondering what was the dely. To keep whatever sanity I had left, I tried to think up excuses for why they haven't come yet. It kept me from thinking that they weren't ever going to come.

"You've got to stop acting like this." A quiet voice said behind me.

At the sound of his voice I nearly fell off the wall. Spinning around, I recognized Bryan, the mutant soldier who was probably the only person on my side in this entire base. I grinned sheepishly for a welcome.

"What do you mean?" I asked, turning completely and sitting cross-legged on the wall so I could look at him better.

"You're going to have to stop being so jumpy. And you should try to limit the times you look at the sky." Bryan warned me. "I'm not sure if the officials of the base have noticed yet but I doubt it'll help your friends if they think something's up."

I nodded in acknowledgement but didn't say anything. I knew that I should try to act like everything was normal, but it was very hard.

"So I've been wondering," Bryan leaned against the wall beside me. We haven't talked at all and tried to avoid eye contact in public areas. People might get suspicious to why we were suddenly so friendly. The norm for soldiers that I've beaten in training is to ignore and avoid me completely.

I looked around, making Bryan laugh.

"I've already checked, there's no one around and they don't bother putting cameras up this close to the arena because they usually get broken before doing much good." He reassured.

"Good. So you were saying?"

"Well, its about the other day when you knocked me out. I didn't have any bruised in the usual areas and I didn't wake up with any pain. How did you do it?" He asked.

"Oh I used my powers." I explained. "I'm a telepath, so I just suggested that your body take a very deep long nap. Thought it would save the trouble of the pain from physically knocking you out."

Bryan's face changed for a second, going from calm to fearful when I mentioned what my mutation was. But I get that a lot. Telepaths are feared by others because they can take away your privacy, your thoughts, memories. They can meddle with your mind to a point where you're a drooling vegetable. Its scary that someone can have the power to harm you so much without even touching you.

But it quickly went back. I guess he realised that I couldn't help being a telepath and that as long as he was on my side I wouldn't use it against him.

"So they actually let you keep those powers?" He asked in surprise. "They only let me use my pyrotechnic powers during training or missions, the rest of the time they block them."

"Er," I stalled hesitantly. "I, um, sort of been breaking through their barriers. Not enough to get out, but enough that I can do little things like that. I've been sort of saving it though, so I'll have more to use when the X-men come."

Bryan looked at me in fear and awe again, not sure what to make of my power.

To change the subject, I said, "So is your sister a mutant too?"

"Yeah," Bryan answered. "Her voice is her mutation. She can mimic anyone and if she uses her power she can make people do things by telling them. I called her Screech at home. You see, she had this really amazing singing voice, not even mimicking famous singers. But since I was her brother, I couldn't encourage her so I called her Screech every time she sang."

He smiled back at the thoughts of his sister. I knew what he meant, and I could see how much he cared about his little sister. I feel, felt I guess, the same way about my siblings. My little brother could be annoying, but he could also be so funny and sweet. Rebecca, my older sister, could act snobby and act like she wanted nothing to do with her nerdy little sister when her friends were around, but when we were alone, we could talk about anything and make each other smile.

"But I never told her how I really felt," Bryan's voice interrupted my memories. "I never told her how amazing I thought she was or how much I cared about her. Their using and hurting her because of me."

"I understand," I said softly, putting my hand on his shoulder trying to comfort him.

He looked at me in surprise, "How could you understand?"

"Because Creed killed my brother and sister, my entire family, to get to me." I said, meeting his eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault, its his." I said gruffly while thinking _and mine_.

We sat there in an awkward silence for awhile before Bryan stood up and said, "I have to go to training now."

I nodded, " 'Kay, I'll try to act more normal. Thanks for the warning."

Watching him walk away, I though, _Don't worry Bryan, we'll save your sister. She won't have to die like my siblings did. With or without the X-men, she'll be freed._

xXx

"You know what have been good?" Wolverine snarled from the pilots seat. "If yah actually got one of the terrorists that knew where the hell this place was!"

"Sorry if I don't have the exact location of the secret base! But they usually try to keep the location, I dunno, a secret?" Lance replied sulkily from his seat behind Wolverine.

"Lets everyone just calm down, take a deep bre-" Bobby tried to say, but was cut off by Lance and Logan.

"Shut up!" They yelled together.

I kept to my seat at the back of the X-jet. Everyone was pretty testy by the third day of flying, but I might have been the worst. I was ready to tear a hole in the jet and jump out to search for the base on my own.

"Um, guys?" Robert said looking down at the controls. It was his turn to be the co-pilot, but he was still unsure of how to do the job because he had only a few training sessions with the X-jet. "There's, uh, some kind of green thing on this thing, coming towards another thing."

He looked around for help, hoping that someone would be able to translate.

"What?" Logan barked at the teenage boy, making him even more nervous.

"There's two things and one of the things is coming up behind the other!" Robert was practically hyperventilating now.

Rahn come up behind her friend to see what he was talking about. Her face paled before she shouted. "We've got company! Another jet coming up at seven o'clock!"

Kitty, who had the most experience in the jet other than Wolverine sprinted up to the cockpit and practically threw Robert out of the seat. Pulling on a head set, she turned around and bellowed (something very unKitty like) at the rest of us. "Everyone back to your seats and buckle up! We have no idea who these guys are, so prepare for some turbulence."

"Oh God, I hate flying!" Lance moaned, putting his head in between his knees.

"Okay, this is weird." She looked over to Wolverine. "The other vessel comes up as a green dot, saying its friendly."

I was now right behind Kitty, looking on.

"What?" Robert asked.

"Okay, unknown planes come up on the radar as yellow. If the plane's encountered an enemy plane before, that plan will come up as red. And a green dot means-" Kitty explained.

"The jet knows them and their friendly."

"Right."

The smaller green dot was now at three o'clock, right beside the jet. Flying at a distance not to distrubt the other plane, but close enough that from the cockpit of one plane you could look into the other.

"I wouldn't exactly call that friendly." Bobby gulped as he saw who was flying the smaller jet.

From the other jet cockpit, we could see the X-men, our teachers, glaring back at us. I could almost feel the heat off their stares. Cyclops, who was piloting the other jet looked straight at Wolverine and pointed down, commanding him to land the stolen/borrowed jet.

"We're gonna die!" Lance whimpered, "They are going to kill us!"

"Shut up!" Wolverine snarled at the boy before looking at me. "Well Petey, this is your mission. What do you want us to do?"

I thought for a moment. Months ago I would have done as the X-men said immediately. I wouldn't even have gone on this mission in the first place! But now, after all that's happened…and Shadow still needed my help…

I leaned in and looked over at the angry X-men then back at Wolverine.

"Give 'er shit."


	20. Chapter 20

_*The X-men and their world belongs to Marvel_

_Please review!_

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Scott bellowed at the students and Logan. They had given them the chase and caught up to the larger jet. Now they were sitting in-between the two jets, getting yelled at by their teachers.

"We had to save Shadow!" Kitty defended, "You guys weren't going to-"

"It isn't your place to make these kind of decisions Miss Pryde." Scott growled through clenched teeth. "Its our responsibility to make these decisions and-"

"But you were making the wrong one!" I now stood up and looked down at my teacher.

" Shadow and the rest of the mutants at that base are in danger, along with all the students back at the school! Yes we were disobeying you, but we had to take this risk. If we want to be X-men one day, we'll have to learn when to take a risk if it means saving people."

Scott was fuming now, I half expected him to shoot me with his lasers.

"Cyclops," Storm said, "Maybe, maybe we should check things out. We're already out here, so what's the harm?"

"The harm is-" Scott started to yell, but stopped himself when he realized he didn't have an argument. "Well, these students stole a jet and flew out here by themselves against our permission. And no, I don't think you or the bushman count as supervision!" Scott yelled at Gambit when he opened his mouth to speak.

"Professor Summers, you can't make us go back, not without even trying to find her." I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "I'm speaking only for myself here, but I'm willing to give up my place at your school to help her."

I looked around at the brigade of classmates "I don't expect you all to risk the same, and I thank you for coming this far."

Kitty rolled her eyes at me before coming to stand behind me. "You artist guys, always so dramatic. I'm with you Pete."

One by one they came to stand behind me and glare at our teachers. Wolverine stood beside me, sneering at Cyclops and Gambit had come over with Rogue. Lance came to stand beside Kitty, murmuring "I don't even _go _to your school, so what can they do?"

Storm actually smiled at us before nudging her comrade and friend. Scott swore, a first time doing so in front of his students. "Fine, but we're coming with you and you all have detention until you graduate."

He stormed up to Wolverine. "I hate you."

Wolverine just gave a wolfish grin. "So which jet do you want to drive?"

xXx

It was past midnight when I heard the alarms go off. I fell out of my bed and looked around confused. From the hallway I heard men being yelled orders to over the alarms, and lights were flashing out my window.

Sensing someone's presence, I spun around to see Bryan offering me a hand up, in his other hand was a gun.

"They're here, lets move." He said as he helped me stand up.

_Guess there's no time to get dressed, _I thought absently, glancing down at my sleeping boxers and tank top.

I pushed the thought out of my sleepy mind as Bryan and I raced past the other soldiers and down to where they had the mutants locked up. After taking out the two soldiers that stood guard outside the prison and stealing their keycards, we got into the prison.

The number of suffering was outstanding…

Left and right there were mutants locked up in tiny cells. Some were strapped to the wall, some were in cells the size of closets, others were being hung from the ceiling of their cells. Proof of the experimentation on these poor souls was visible. From those closest to me I could see their arms were bruised from all the needles and IVs stuck into them. Other prisoners looked like they recently had surgery done on different parts of their anatomy or looked like experiments gone wrong. At the other end of the hallway of cells, there were five soldiers shooting the imprisoned mutants.

"No!" I screamed charging at the five soldiers. Using my senses and agility, I dodged their bullets. Seconds later, the five were dead on the floor and their blood on my hands.

_I've done it, _I thought horrified as I backed away from the corpses_, I've finally became a murder…_

"Cathleen, come on!" Bryan yelled over the chaos, giving me a shake. "We have to get these people out of here!"

I shook my head absently, then got to work. I used the stolen keycard to open the cells. Some mutants needed extra help escaping their prisons, physically and mentally.

"N-no," One girl, barely older than me, stuttered. Her eyes blackened and she retreated to her cell's corner where she began to rock back and forth. "I-it's a trick! You're trying to trick me into being bad! They said I could go home if I was good, but you want me to be bad!"

The large mutant I freed prior came forward and whispered to the traumatised girl as he picked her up. "Its alright sweetie, you're okay. Trust us, you're going home."

Other prisoners needed to be carried out, but soon we had all gathered outside their prison hall. I saw the Brotherhood members and most of them seemed to be in not too bad shape. Bryan came rushing up to me.

"She's not here! I can't find my sister Felicia anywhere!" Bryan yelled, panicking.

"Felicia, you mean Screech?" The large mutant that had helped me before with the girl back in the cell came up to us. He still carried the whimpering, muttering girl. "They took her before the alarms sounded; she's in the surgical room. Down the hall and to the right, you'll find it when you smell the blood."

I looked over a Bryan. I didn't want him to be alone out there in the chaos, but I couldn't leave this group either. I turned to the large mutant. "Okay, get everyone to follow me. Bryan, the surgical room is on the way to the top, we'll come with you."

The large mutant nodded then yelled to his fellow prisoners. "Everyone, follow us!"

We charged down the hall, taking out any foolish soldier that tried to stand in our way. The stronger of the prisoners that weren't helping the others walk came to the front and took out the soldiers before the others even saw them. Eventually, we came to the room.

The mutant was right, the smell gave it away…

When I looked in (covering my sensitive nose), I saw discarded medical equipment laying on the floor and at least six cold metal tables with straps on them. On the floor were several holes, for the blood to drain into. One table had a shivering blond girl strapped down to it. Her head was held down by many straps and there was a surgical cutter, still going. Her cries were muffled by duct tape.

Bryan and I hurried over to her. I worked on cutting loose her restraints and Bryan took away her mouth tape.

The moment he did, she screamed and screamed. It seemed like it would never stop. But the poor girl, skin had been torn away with the tape and the skin left looked dead or infected. It seems she's had that tape on for a very long time.

"Oh Bryan," She finally cried, falling into his arms. "They were going to cut out my brain, they were going to kill me, I couldn't stop them, they killed before, its so dark, so much pain…"

"Shh shh, I'm here now, you're free. I'm never letting anything hurt you again." Bryan promised, hugging his sister tight to him.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, but we have to go."

He nodded and carried his crying sister along as we and the other prisoners made our way back up through the base. We knew we were getting closer because we found more soldiers and the noise was getting louder. We lost a few mutants, shot down by soldiers. The poor souls had just tasted freedom before their death…

We made it to the final door, leading outside. I was about to throw it open when I felt a searing pain in my right leg. I screamed and fell, finding blood gushing out of a bullet wound. I looked to see a squadron of soldiers pointing their guns at us.

The prisoners reacted be attacking the soldiers who had tortured and imprisoned them. Those helping the weaker mutants put their charges against the wall and formed a protective circle around them. Before my eyes, humans and mutants being slaughtered by one another.

I could hardly fight with a shot leg, but I could be of help. I closed my eyes, trying to shut out the pain or the dizziness from blood loss. I tried to focus on a shield, preventing the humans and mutants from hurting each other, but I just couldn't find the power…

And then it happened. Every mind within a hundred kilometres was inside mine, screaming at me. I felt some slip away as they died, some screaming in agony, some hearts were breaking as they watched their friends or family die, others tortured as they took another's life. All the barriers I put up in my mind to protect me broke the second the restraints on my psychic powers were taken away.

So much pain, emotion, sorrow, death; I couldn't take it!

I screamed and felt myself lifted into the air. Below me, humans and mutants were thrown away from each other, by my shield. With a shuddering gasp, I fell bake down to the floor, barely keeping consciousness. Around me, humans were knocked out, but the mutants were just down.

I rolled over, wanting to sleep and never wake up. Until I saw Bryan looking at me. He tried to smile, that's when I noticed the blood dripping from his mouth. He tried to speak, but a gurgle of fresh blood poured from his mouth instead. He spat, then tried again.

"I-it worked." He said weakly. "Your shield, I guess? They can't hurt each other any more. I-I think it was too late for me though…"

He lifted his hand away from his stomach, showing a gaping wound. There was no way anyone could help him. In my mind I sensed him fading away.

"L-look," He tried to say but more blood poured from his mouth. "after-"

Each word he spoke was now a struggle, I took his hand and used my powers to take away his pain. I met his eyes before connecting our minds. From within our minds, he could tell me his last wishes. Though he could speak and feel no pain, it was still hard to hear him because he was fading away.

"Thank you Cathleen, for this. For giving me hope these last days that my sister could be free. You saved her, both of us. I'm free too." Bryan said, smiling at me.

I put us in the Astral Planes, making it look like the valley that a small creek ran through by Bryan's home. From his memories I knew how much he loved the place since he was little, and he wanted to see it one more time. Bryan was dressed in a pair of jeans and a leather jacket, in this world he didn't have to be dressed in his army regulated clothing. He could be who he wanted. I no longer saw a dying man, bloody and weak, but a strong healthy and happy. But his image was still fading.

I felt myself start to cry. It wasn't fair! Bryan had risked his life to save the other mutants! To help me! He only just got his sister back and he was going to be taken from her, again. All this because of me.

I felt a gentle hand hold up my chin. Bryan made me face him. "I know what you're thinking, and please, don't blame yourself. I meant every word of my thanks, from the bottom of my heart. But I have one more thing to ask of you. Will you look after Felicia for me? Please? She'll need a friend to help her get over the trauma of this place, and my death. She'll need you, Cathleen. Will you be there for her?"

I nodded, tears sliding down my cheeks. "Of course I will."

Bryan was barely more than a ghost now. He stared off into the sunset, a smile on his face. He started walking towards it, fading even more. Over his shoulder he called, "And tell her how proud I am of her, I couldn't have asked for a better little sister. Tell her that I'll always watch other her, even if she can't s…"

I opened my eyes, Bryan was gone before he could finish what he was saying. Tears continued to slide down my cheeks as I reached over and closed Bryan's eyelids, staring into the green eyes that no longer held the light they used to.

"Rest in peace, you'll always be in my prayers." I whispered.

Suddenly I heard a roar and Creed ran into the room. There was blood everywhere on him, and his clothing was torn. He held a gun in one hand and hand his claws out in the other. I tried to hide myself better behind someone's corpse (I couldn't tell if it was human or mutant), and hoped that my scent would be covered by the smell of blood and death.

"WHERE IS SHE? WHERE IS CATHLEEN?" He roared. Mutants and humans alike cowered at the sight and sound of him, except for Quicksilver. He stood up, though his sister the Scarlet Witch tried to pull him back down. His lip was split open and his left arm was bleeding badly. He pointed a shaky gun at Creed and tried to shoot, but Creed pounced on him.

"Do you know where my daughter is, huh?" Creed shook him. "ARE YOU KEEPING HER FROM ME?"

Peitro started to laugh and laugh, the laugh of a mad man. I guess he thought it was funny that Creed was so worried about the daughter that freed and led the mutants that he had captured.

Creed put his gun to the white haired man's temple and was about to pull the trigger.

All of a sudden, the wall opposite to me broke open. I covered my face from the debris and dust. When I looked up, I felt my heart skip a beat.

Standing in the newly formed hole amongst the debris was my knight in shinnying armour. Peter, my Peter, stood tall and strong in his Colossus form. He surveyed the scene before marching up to Creed and punching him through at least seven walls of the base. He then looked at the mutants around him.

"Does anyone know where Shadow is?" He asked the crowd. Everyone shook their heads fearfully, they didn't know who I was, let alone my old codename, and they were afraid that they were going to be punched by the Colossus next.

"Peter, Peter," I called softly, my voice barely audible. I was so tired, so weak…

"Shadow?" Peter heard my weak call and started searching like a maniac through the debris and people.

"I'm over here." I tried to call, but it came out as a whisper. I tried to sit up but promptly fell back down. A moment later, Peter was at my side and was picking me up gently.

"Oh my god," Peter gasped, seeing the state I was in. He turned back into his skin, human, form and his blue eyes looked down at me in horror.

"Yeah, I'm not looking my best." I tried to smile, but then some blood that was running down my face from the large gash over my eye got in my mouth and I stopped. I wonder when I got that?

"Y-you're still prefect looking, the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." Peter told me, smoothing down my hair.

"Liar." I said, leaning against his chest and closing my eyes. "You came, I knew you would. Always my knight in shining armour. I knew you'd come…"

"Shh," He hushed putting his forehead to mine. "I'll always come for you, I'll always been here for you Shadow-"

"Cathleen, my name is Cathleen." I told him, opening my eyes to meet his.

He kissed my forehead softly and started to carry me away.

"Peter?" I said, closing my eyes once more.

"Yes Shad- Cathleen?" Peter asked.

"I can look after myself, I'm a tough girl and a fighter, remember?" I said, reminding him of our past discussion. "I'll let is slide this time, but I get to save you next time."

He chuckled softly. After saying that, I fell into a long deep sleep…


	21. Chapter 21

The next two week at the school was chaotic. I didn't know it, but Stryker had attacked the school while half the X-men were away. Thankfully no students were killed, mainly because the older students were prepared for the attack and the Avengers were keeping watch over the school, but many were injured and scared. The teenagers who fought had training from the Danger Room, but nothing could prepare them for the mental trauma of real opponents. And aside of the student body being scared that the one place in the world they thought was safe for them was no longer a haven, there were many injuries.

The MedBay was full of injured students and a few teachers the first day we got back. They found space for me, but they were starting to send students who needed extra care to Miri Island or to trusted hospitals that helped mutants secretly. Hank and Jean were running themselves ragged, trying to help all those injured. Professor Xavier was busy trying to console all the students, using his powers to keep them calm, so he couldn't help. Storm had enough training to look after most cases, and she was a big help, but not enough. Students with healing abilities came down to help, along with the friends of those who had been hurt to look after them. Everyone was doing their share to help, either in the MedBay or doing repairs to the school.

But eventually things slowed down. More and more students were able to go back to their rooms until it was only me and five other students left.

Or at least, this is what I've been told. I didn't witness the chaos taking place in the school because I was in a coma. The blood loss, physical trauma and the psychic strain had put me out. Now I am getting better, but I'm very weak. I can barely keep my eyes open for an hour before I fall back asleep.

Friends have been visiting me, so when I'm awake I have something to focus on other than the horrors I've seen and experienced.

Jenny, Megan and Greg visited me a few times. They didn't mention anything about my prior abandoning them, I guess that was because they felt sorry for what happened to me. Megan and Greg were the best of friends now, but they had made new friends too. I could see they were still scared about the attack on the school, but they were handling it. When Jenny came to see me by herself, I learned a little more "adult" going ons in the school, stuff that the two younger kids should know about. It was good to have her back as a friend, but I missed Derik and Zach. Zach didn't come see me because he never really liked me. Apparently he was having troubles adjusting in the school as well, because Jenny was making friends and growing away from her brother while he wanted her to always be with him. She was growing tired of it and was leaving him more and more by himself. Derik had met up with his friend from his hometown and made a few other friends here. I don't know the exact reason, but he never did come see me. Jenny told me that Diffuse was adjusting well, until about a month ago. That's when she just shut down. Jenny was sharing a room with her, so she knew that she now hardly left the room and was crying a lot, but she didn't know the reason.

My new friends came to see me a lot. I felt a new kind of closeness to them, especially knowing how much they risked to come save me. I owed each of them my life. They waved it off like it was nothing, like they saved people everyday, but I knew how much this mission changed them.

And Felicia came a few days. She was still in mourning for her brother and what had happened to her at the base, but after sessions with Professor Xavier she felt ready to come see me. She was very nice and kind, very likable. We got along well and soon became friends. We cried together when I relayed Bryan's message to his sister, and when she told me about their childhood. We both knew that Bryan's death was a great loss, but we could sense our friendship growing.

My little Leah came everyday, telling me all that I've missed. She drew me pictures, tried to make me comfortable, told me about how much she loves Storm's garden. She adores Dani, who looks after the few kids that mutated early and were too young for the classes here, but she really looked up to Storm. The both loved the outdoors, Storm understood Leah's connection with nature, and was helping her with her garden. It seemed that Storm had filled my "mothering" role for Leah while I wasn't here.

Today something a little different happened during Leah's daily visit.

"As soon as you're good, you have to come see my greenhouse, okay?" Leah said excitedly. She was sitting on my bed and bouncing. She had a secondary mutation already; her hair was living plants. Instead of the shiny black hair she used to have, she now had vines, grass and little flowers. Right now they swirled around her head, little pink flowers were growing today, along with some ivy making bangs to frame her face.

I smiled but said nothing. I was really tired but I didn't want her to know

"Storm said that she's gunna take me to this really cool place she knows soon so that we can get flowers for the greenhouse. She said that we'll always have plants, _even in the winter! She is so cool!"_ Leah told me, barely able to suppress her delight. And why should she? She's had some of the hardest times at a young age, from now it seems fair that she has smooth sailing from here.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a slim figure enter the MedBay. At first I thought it was Professor Jean, coming to take more blood samples or something, but then I saw who it really way. Diffuse glowed in the dimly lit room, coming closer to my bed. She looked hesitant, and so much older than when I last saw her.

She leaned against the chair next to my bed, and awkwardly offered me a bouquet of flowers.

"Uh, hi Shadow." She tried to smile, but it didn't work. "Um, these are for you."

"Thank you Diffuse, that's really nice of you." I said, equally unsure. Out of all the people in the school, I expected to see her the least. After our falling out…

Leah took the flowers for me and put them on my bedside stand before leaping at Diffuse. Hugging her, she squealed. "Di-Di!" The name she always called her. "I haven't saw you forever! I've missed you!"

Diffuse looked like she was going to cry, but luckily Leah didn't notice. She patted the young girl's head softly, looking over top of it to meet my eyes. I saw such a great sorrow and pain in her eyes; and she needed to talk to me.

"Um, Leah-" I started to say.

"No Cat!" Leah interrupted insistently. Then I remembered our conversation the first day she came to see me when she said "Cat". Leah always had this thing about saying a person's full name, so Cathleen became Cat. "My name is Sprout! All the other kids get codenames here, so me too!"

I hid my grin, "Right, sorry Sprout."

"Its okay, I don't think I'm allowed to be mad at a sick person any ways." She told me, with all the wisdom of a six year old. She came back from Diffuse and kissed my forehead.

"Uh, listen Sprout, me and Diffuse are going to have a little talk." I told her gently.

"Okay." She slimed sweetly at me and sat down cross legged on my bed, looking at the two of us.

"Sprout, why don't you go down for dinner now? I think Storm's back from her meeting with the Professor now, you can eat with her." I asked trying a different tactic.

"Can you come too?" She asked.

"Not yet sweetie, Professor Jean and Hank still have me on lock up." When I saw a clouded look come over her face, I added. "But maybe if I rest up this evening, they'll let me out tomorrow so you can show me your greenhouse. How does that sound?"

She beamed at me, her little green face practically shining. She gave me and Diffuse each another hug, before skipping away humming.

"You're really good with her, Cathleen." Diffuse told me quietly, sitting down in the armchair next to my bed. "She really loves you."

"Leah's such a sweetie, she's easy to love back." I replied. We were quiet for awhile, not knowing what to say to each other. I knew that she wanted to talk to me about something important, probably about what Jenny was telling me about how she's been acting differently. I could have used my powers (as weak as they were at the moment) to see what was going on, but I decided to just give her time.

"So, er, 'Sprout' was right about the whole codename thing." I said, trying to ease the moment. "Everyone in this school seems to need one, too many X-men wannabes. Every where I look there's some new kid being christened with a new name."

"Yeah, in my case its 'slut'", Diffuse whispered darkly.

I looked over at her, trying to tell whether she was kidding or something.

"What?"

Diffuse placed her head in her hands.

"You were right, about Arez. He didn't care about me. He just whispered things like 'I love you' and 'you're beautiful', and I fell for it. I was so stupid, I thought he really cared about me. He took advantage of that." Diffuse looked up at me, her eyes filled with tears. "Oh Shadow!"

With that she fell into my arms, crying and crying. I really didn't know what to say…I guess I was hoping that I was interpreting this wrong, and he just dumped her or something but-

"Shadow," She whispered, looking up. "I-I need someone to know what happened, I can't, I can't-"

I knew what she wanted me to do, but I hesitated. I had enough in my head already…

She looked up at me with her watery eyes. I sighed, knowing that she needed someone to know but she couldn't tell. I closed my eyes and connected our minds.

Two minutes later, Diffuse was crying even harder in my arms, I nearly crying with her. After seeing what that _monster _did to her, seeing it through her eyes and feeling every motion and thought that was in her mind, I was going to make him pay.

xXx

It was nearly a week later that Dr. Grey and Dr. McCoy agreed to let me out, and it was only for the night because the school was having a huge bonfire. The school event was designed to inspire togetherness, community, healing, and hope in the students, something they defiantly needed.

Kitty, Jenny, Rogue, Rahne and Felicia had come to so me earlier that day to pick out my outfit and help me get ready. Diffuse had come to, but that was more because she's been coming to me every day since her first visit. She never wanted to get too far from me, and some nights see came and slept in the bed next to mine in the MedBay. It seemed that was the only way she could sleep.

When Sprout showed up, things got really fun. At least, for the other girls. Sprout was even more eager to play "dress up Cat" than the older girls. Rogue did my nails while Kitty cut my hair (she was actually very skilled, and it felt good to have it short again). Rahne had brought down half her wardrobe (she was the closest one of the girls to my size) so that the girls could pick my outfit together. Now she, Felicia and Sprout were finding combinations of clothing that would work for tonight, not getting very far because Sprout kept wanting to try on the older girl's clothes. Felicia was also choosing an outfit for tonight. Jenny read out fashion tips from a magazine as Diffuse read over her shoulder. We had a great time, and though I didn't really like being the other girls' Barbie doll, I really enjoyed the time we had together.

Just as I was waving goodbye to them and promising to meet up with them at the bonfire, I caught my reflection in the bathroom mirror. I came closer to the mirror, my reflection becoming clearer. My auburn hair was pixie short again and was spiked, I just realized now of what a great job Kitty did. I was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans, a shirt with a low neckline and long sleeves, with a red plaid blouse over top. Rahne had even leant me these really cute pair of low cow girl boots with a slight heel (the other girls laughed that the heel would help me get in kissing distance of Peter). After Rogue did my nails in a deep red that matched my shirt, she did my make up. She did a good job of avoiding getting make up in the healing gash on my forehead. The headband that separated my straightened pushed to the side bangs and my spiky hair in the back was picked out by Sprout.

I had to admit it, I looked good.

"Cathleen, you look…great." I turned to see Peter standing in the door way, blushing. I smiled at him and led him back to my bed.

"Thanks, but really all credit goes to the girls, they've been working on me for like an hour." I smiled and shrugged.

"They did an exceptional job, but I think its because of you that it looks so good." Peter said shyly, blushing even more.

That's just like my knight in shining armour, saying something incredibly sweet then thinking that he was over stepping boundaries. To set him at ease I took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Ever since he saved me (Kitty and the other girl's told me all about how he planned the rescue and how he acted while I was taken), we've been closer than ever.

"Er, Cat?" Peter said quietly. Now it seemed that everyone in the school had taken to calling me Cat like Leah.

"Yeah?" I said over my shoulder as I rooted through the bedside drawer, looking for my watch to take to the bonfire.

"Well, when you were gone, I, er…" Peter tried to say. I stopped what I was doing and gave him my whole attention, smiling encouragingly.

"Uh, well, you know your photograph of your family?" Peter spat out, pointing at the very picture on my bedside stand. "Um, when you were gone, I did a lot of paintings, it helped me focus and keep calm. And, I started doing portraits of, well, you."

Peter face was as red as my shirt now, but he continued.

"But, then I remembered the picture, and how beat up it was. And, I started working on this." Peter reached over and took a wrapped up canvas and handed it to me. "I thought something a little bigger and in better condition would be nice, but if you don't want it or anything, I'll understand."

I unwrapped the canvas, and gasped when I saw it. It was a marvellous replica of my photograph, with a few small differences, like my hair was as short as it is now unlike in the original I had long hair. It was really beautiful, and it surprised me of how good it was. Peter was an amazing artist.

Seeing the beautiful painting and knowing how much time and effort it must have taken him, the only way I thought to express myself was to wrap my arms around my sweet giant's neck and kiss him passionately. It surprised him at first, but soon Peter wrapped his arms around me and was kissing back just as devotedly.

"Wow Pete, this is, wow." I said breathlessly when we finally broke apart.

"Were those wows for the painting or the kissing?" Peter asked me, still holding me close to him.

"Ahem," Peter and I looked over to see Hank McCoy smiling at us from the door way, I'm pretty sure we matched in blush shades by now. "I just came down to remind Cathleen that the bonfire was starting and to see if she needed an escort up, but I'm sure you, Mr. Rasputin will be more than willing to help her."

I might have been hallucinating a little but I could have sworn that I saw the Beast wink at us before leaving us alone once more. I looked up at Peter and sure enough he was blushing up a storm.

I cleared my throat, "So, lets go to a bonfire."

xXx

It was an amazing sight. Out on the grassy cliff where flying lessons were held were several fires built up with logs set around them. The student body was too large to fit around one fire, but some how there was still unity from the individual fires. A full silver moon hung low over the water, casting a haunting reflection on its black still surface.

Peter and I walked over to one of the fires where we saw our friends, holding hands.

Our appearance was greeted by cat-calls and encouraging yells from our friends. We both laughed as we settled on one log in a spot that was saved for us. Peter sat first, then pulled me onto his lap where his big arms kept me warm. Who needs a campfire when you have a colossus boyfriend?

Everyone but the girls who had come to help me get ready, were surprised to see me. I didn't tell them about how I was getting the evening free, only Peter and those girls. It was kind of a surprise, which was added by me showing up holding Peter's hand. They all greeted me warmly individually.

Finally it came to Remy Lebue. I knew that he blamed himself for my kidnapping, but I didn't hold any grudges. It was my own stupidity and stubbornness of going at in the first place, then trying to come home by myself.

"Bonjour, petite, comment ca-va?" Remy asked in his rich accent as he kissed my hand.

"Je suis bien, merci." I replied, smiling.

"Ah, vous savez le français ?" Remy said sounding impressed.

"Un peu." I answered before saying in English. "I used to live close to the Quebec border when I lived in Canada. Half my neighbours were French and in school we had daily classes, so I picked it up."

We shared a smile before he went back to Rogue. It was a mutual understanding that there were no hard feelings over what had happened.

And then the songs started.

Sam and Paige had brought out their guitars, like many other students at the other campfires. We sang a few classic campfire songs until the solos started. Sam and Paige did a duet of "Landslide" by the Dixie chicks, their beautiful voices combining amazingly. Then Kitty, Jubilee and Paige lightened the mood by singing this silly love song about a cheeseburger , not bothering to use the guitar or sing in tune. More and more of my friends sang, making the night even better. It was really special when Felicia get up the nerve to sing, and her voice was amazing. Even people from the other circles stopped what they were doing to come over and listen as she sang "Somewhere over the Rainbow" with Sam on the guitar. Once it was over she accepted the compliments gracefully as she made her way over to me. Taking a seat on the ground with me, she leaned over and whispered "That was for Bryan, it was his favourite song but never admitted it to anyone but me." I smiled and gave her a small hug.

Eventually Sam convinced Felicia to sing again, this time with him. They both settled on a hauntingly beautiful "Whiskey Lullaby" by Brad Paisley. It was really marvellous and everything was going fine until I felt Diffuse push herself right up against me. When I left Peter's lap and sat on the ground, she had come to sit by me, but now it was as if she was trying to hide herself using me.

And when I saw who was passing with a small blonde girl in tow, I understood why. The idea came to me suddenly, and I didn't think on it, just reacted. I patted Diffuse's shoulder and passed her a sleeping Leah to hold (Dani had gathered up the other young students half an hour ago for bed, but we hid Leah so she could stay up with us) and stood up. Peter was about to stand as well, but I stopped him.

I kissed his cheek and whispered, as to not disturb the singers, "I'll be right back."

I followed Arez and the girl away from the campfire light and noise to the orchards. Since my psychic powers had been restored, my feral abilities were dulled, almost as if only one set of powers could surface at a time like split personalities. But I still had enough of my enhanced sense to see where I was going. I leapt up into a tall tree and watched the couple.

"Arez, stop it! This isn't fun any more, lets just go back to the others." The unknown girl tried to keep her voice light, but I still heard fear in her voice. "Lets go back, we can just cuddle by the fire-"

"Bell, you know want I want, and it isn't cuddling, babe." Arez said, pushing the girl up against a tree and trapping her there with his arms.

"Arez, I like you but I don't think I can go through with that, I'm not ready." The girl was really terrified now.

"Shh," Arez hissed in her ear, "Everything's going to be fine, just trust me."

"Like Diffuse did?" I called, jumping lightly out of the tree to where they were standing. Arez was so shocked that he let the girl go.

I indicated my head towards the cliff with the campfires. "Go on back." I told the girl gently.

As she ran past me, I heard her mutter "Thank you"

Arez tried to play it cool, leaning up against the tree. "Hey girl, what's up? Want to party? You didn't have to get rid of her to do that, there's enough of me to go around."

I ignored his trash. "I know what you did to Diffuse."

"Diffuse? You mean that glowstick chick? Hey, I didn't do anything that she didn't want. Not my problem that she changed her mind." Arez shrugged and started to saunter off back to the campfires, but I used my telekinesis to pick him up and slam him against the tree.

"Now you listen to me," I hissed at him. Arez struggled , his legs dangling. In my mind I felt him try to teleport away but I held on to him. "You led her on and took advantage of that little girl. She didn't understand, and when she did she told you to stop. But you didn't. And you were going to do the exact same thing here, tonight."

"Hey, Arez has to play or else he becomes a dull boy. Can't contain the beast, chick." I knew he was trying to pull it off that he was right and I was just over reacting, but I sensed his panic and fear. I also knew that he was never going to change, he was just going to become an even more powerful monster, doing the same thing over and over.

"So bitch," Arez sneered at me, "Wha'ca gonna do now? Tell the teachers that I've been bad? Like they can stop me, as if anyone can. You see, the beauty of my power is that I can just exit a bad situation anytime I want to. I can get away with anything I want to."

"And how does that seem to be working for you right now?" I hissed, slamming him into the tree again. But he was right, no one was going to be able to stop him but me.

I closed my eyes and entered his mind. Using all the power I had, I went to work. First I made him experience all the torment Diffuse had to feel. I used my powers to take away his ability to scream, just like he did to Diffuse by taking her away to where no one could hear her.

I was starting to tire, but I kept going. This was my only chance to avenge Diffuse, and to make sure he would never do anything like this again. It was wrong to use my powers this way, but it was just as wrong to let him continue.

Five minutes later, Arez stood shaking in front of me. His eyes were wide and fearful, his mouth shut tightly. While in his mind I took away all the urges he had to hurt and dominate women. If the urges returned and he did anything…inappropriate to anyone unwilling, he would feel the mental pain that Diffuse felt when he hurt her, and the pain she has to deal with everyday because of him.

"Arez, you are going to leave this place." I whispered softly to him. "You aren't going to come back. You won't remember me, but you'll remember the lesson that is now carved into your mind. Now go."

Arez stared blankly ahead and started walking. It was only when I could no longer see him that I went back to the campfire. I was exhausted and my head ached, but I put on a smile for my friends. My nose had started bleeding, but I quickly wiped away the blood before anyone noticed. Sighing, I took a seat in front of Peter and leaned back on his massive legs. I took Leah back from Diffuse.

"Shadow-" Diffuse started, but I shook my head.

_He's gone now Diffuse, he can't hurt you or any other girl any more. _I sent her the telepathic message.

She nodded and looked like a great weight had been removed from her shoulders. She glowed more brightly in the night, finally a true smile on her face, and she actually started singing along with the rest of the group as they sang "Let it Be".

Peter came down to sit by me. He put a large arm around me and pulled me closer to him. He looked down at me, trying to read my expression to see if I thought this was okay. I rested my head against his chest to let him know that this was totally okay.

Being here, it was like … home. My friends singing, the beautiful scenery, my little garden angel on my lap and cuddling with my knight in shining armour. At this moment, I didn't have to worry about my past, what had happened these last four months at the base with Sabretooth or what happened to Diffuse. At this moment, I could simply be with my friends in my new home, and pray for the future.

I was happy. I'm not sure how long until some new terror came along. But it didn't matter, because I will always have this moment.

The End

_* So, what did you guys think? Something along the lines of "OMG! Finally, this is done! I thought she'd never stop!"? I hope not, because I was planning on a sequel if you guys were interested. Anyways, I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed, I really appreciated all your comments. You guys are the best!_

_So please review if you're interested in a sequel, and thanks again!_


	22. Chapter 22

_* The X-men and their world belongs to Marvel_

_Hey guys! Anyway, I just wanted to thank readers who have read my first story 'Beginning of the Shadow' involving Cathleen/Shadow and welcome new readers. This is the first chapter to Cathleen's new story, which will be coming REALLY soon. I hope this new adventure will interest you!_

_Catch yah later,_

_J.C. Posch_

I crept in the shadows, studying my target's every move. The way he made no sudden movements but took his time and made sure the ones he was doing were right. His careful movements were contradicted by his eyes darting every which way, trying to catch a glimpse of me. I took a slow deep breathe, taking in his scent. There was an odour of paint and cinnamon under his musk of sweat, but I couldn't smell blood. He hadn't spilt any yet. I could hear his heart hammering in his broad muscled chest, giving away his excitement and nervousness.

Suddenly his head turned my way, and he smirked. I crouched lower, trying to stay hidden in the darkness but preparing a fighting stance for if he finds me. The large figure surged towards me, no longer taking care for each precise movement he made. Our game of cat and mouse was over, time for action.

When he was about five feet from me, I leapt then rolled out of his path. Now behind him, I kicked out swiftly to knock his feet out from under him. Before he realised what was going on, I gave him a push so that he would fall on his chest instead of his back. The moment he hit the ground, I launched myself onto his back and took his muscle arms in a hold. Like a viper I jabbed the area of the back I knew would temporarily paralyze his arms. I was too far for his legs to get me and his arms were now immobile.

"Make sure you are out of the way of his still able limbs before going into you final move, which might be to snap his neck or paralyze him for good. In this case, you probably want to find out why he was after you, so knock him unconscious or," I put my arm on his shoulder then wrapped the same arm around his neck and locked my hands. Then I flexed my bicep against his neck, while pushing my forearm against the other side of his neck. He struggled, but the hold was nearly impossible to escape, even with his superior strength. "Hold this position until you are sure he is unconscious, try not to suffocate him."

I freed my boyfriend before he went cataleptic and looked up at the assembly of teenage girls in the bleachers, who watched us with utmost interest. "And that concludes our demonstration of taking down larger opponents. Any questions?"

The full lights to the Danger Room came on and my students blinked at the sudden brightness. Most had out binders and were taking notes, while others just looked down in awe. It was a shock to them that I was actually able to take down the newest member to the X-men, Piotr (Peter, since coming to America) Rasputin, the Colossus without my mutant powers. A lot of them had lost money, betting against me.

I got off of Peter as he still tried to get his breathe back and walked closer to the bleachers that held the girls who came to my Women's Defence Classes, wiping sweat from my forehead.

"Did you really not use your powers on 'im?" One girl asked. She was in grade nine and was required to take this course.

"No, I didn't. That was the point of this class, to show you how to defend yourself without your powers against a larger opponent. Agility, keeping a calm mind and thinking ahead of the attacker will ensure your safety." I answered. "Peter didn't use his powers either. We both wore these rings created by S.H.I.E.D that neutralizes our mutant X-gene so we couldn't use them even if we wanted to."

"I've got one," Jubilee, a girl in my year asked, popping a bubble made by her pink gum. "How do we know he just didn't go easy on you because you're his girlfriend?"

"Do you really think any guy would want to lose to a girl in front of a class full of other girls? Do you see this egg on my noggin?" I asked sarcastically, pointing up at the still swelling bruise to the side of my forehead. Jubilee was a friend, but one of those friends that you have to resist strangling sometimes. I think she was just taking this class as some form of entertainment and so she could heckle me. "Nope, Peter tried his best and was a skilled opponent; this was a real fight and was a real demonstration of how a fight would go if you were attack/stalked by a larger person."

"Why wouldn't you just use your powers?" Another girl asked.

_Okay, kind of answered that before the demonstration, _I thought a little annoyed.

"Because you might not have your powers to help you at sometime. Some of you don't even have defensive or offensive abilities, that's why you're here. The X-men all have great powers, but they also know hand-to-hand combat because they know they can't always rely just on those powers." I answered coolly. "Any more questions?"

The girls in the bleachers didn't show any sign of wanting to ask questions. Seeing them like this, it was weird. Listening to me, trying to learn from me, trusting that I know what I'm doing? This was all so crazy. Most of the girls here were in their early teens, but there were many girls who are my own age and coming to learn from me. When these lessons first started they treated it like a joke. Not that I could blame them, I was some girl not that much older (or even younger than, in some cases) droning on and on about ways to defend yourself, it wasn't until I started adding demonstrations and practical classes that this course was started to actually be taken seriously. At the Xavier Institute, we all had defence classes and Danger Room sessions when we got to a certain age; but this was a class Storm and Cyclops had thought up of. A class taught by a female to girls to teach them how to defend themselves in the world not only because they were mutants, but because they were female.

The world is a dangerous place for us mutants, but there are different dangers for girls as well. This class is to give these girls the methods and knowledge to defend themselves.

It shocked me when I was asked to do these classes. I'm in my last year of high school, a teenager, not a teacher or X-man. Why should I be given the task of this when there were so many better people to do the job? Scott Summers (aka Cyclops) muttered something about 'I had enough experience' 'it will be easier for them to learn if they see a girl like them can do these things' 'it'll give me experience for the future". Oh, and all the women teachers/X-men had enough on their plates to deal with and the men didn't think it would be appropriate to teach a class of just girls. So I got stuck with the job.

"Alright, so no more questions?" I said to my class, giving them one more chance. No one said anything, so I continued. "Alright, lets all give Mr. Rasputin a big thank you for helping with the demonstration today."

By now Peter was sitting up on the floor his arms draped on his legs. The girls gave him some polite clapping; some getting creative. I head some catcalls and giggling, and I'm sure it was Jubilee who screamed out "Russian boys are hot stuff!".

"Okay, so I'll see you all on Monday. I want you all to practice the moves we learned this week and go over your nerve charts, you can't do acupuncture defence moves if you can't remember where to hit them. And you all know where to find me if you need help."

"Can Peter help us instead?" I heard a voice call out. The girls giggled at that and I saw Peter's face go red.

"You're dismissed!" I said with a glare. "Oh, and we're getting a guest speaker in on Tuesday. Mr. Logan, Wolverine. Its going to be good."

The room filled with chatter as the girl got their stuff together and started to file slowly out of the Danger Room. Once we were alone I went back over to Peter.

He was beautiful, inside and out. His thick black hair and innocent blue eyes, his puppy dog perfect smile and his perfect skin. Plus his amazing body. He was a giant. Standing at six feet five, he was all muscle. But looks aren't everything, I wouldn't be with him if it weren't for his beautiful soul. He was very sweet and loving, never wanting to hurt anyone's feelings. He will put his foot in his mouth every once in awhile, and he gets so embarrassed that he'll blush. He makes you feel as if you are perfect, or as close to it as its gonna get. He's also brilliant and an artist. He picks out things that no one else can see or imagine, and then uses his gift to put it on paper and show it to the world.

I know for every teenage girl its always 'love' not 'like', but in this case I really think I love him.

Since graduating last year, he's been a jr. X-men along with a few of my other friends. With his mutant ability of superhuman strength and to turn his human flesh into organic steel armour, he's been an asset to the team. But he's been feeling pulled since the school year started again. Professor Xavier, Jean Grey and a few other teachers have been pushing him to go to collage before he dedicates himself to the X-men. They don't believe he's had a chance to know what he wants and they want him to have other opinions. And although he's a fantastic superhero, the X-men also have to help run the school for mutants. He's been volunteering in classes and has been working as a janitor/caretaker for the school, but they want him to be able to help teach the students (we're always short on teachers here). Others like Gambit and Wolverine tell him this is the best thing for him, to just be an X-man. He knows he needs money and he doesn't want to mooch on the school forever, but he doesn't know if he wants to go away to school for something. He's sold a few of his paintings, so he has money for now. But the other day he got s letter from home. His mother wrote that now he has graduated, he can come back home to farm. So that's another thing pulling him in another direction.

Whatever he chooses, I'll support him. My own selfishness wants him just stay here with me as an X-man (but not go on too dangerous missions, I don't want to see him hurt), but I won't tell him my thoughts on these things. I'll listen patiently when he confides in me about these things, but I won't say anything because he has enough people pulling him in enough ways.

"Thanks again Peter, I really owe you one. I guess I won't leave my lesson planning till the night before so I won't have to beg for help again." I smiled sheepishly.

"Its alright, I liked helping you." Peter smiled back, his Russian accent making me swoon a little (I never thought a Russian accent could be so sexy before meeting Peter). "Though I'm not sure I'll feel the same way when my comrades hear that I was beat by a girl."

His tone told me his was teasing but I still raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? You think its embarrassing to lose to a girl?" I asked.

"To a little girl? Of course it's embarrassing!" Peter went on. "Maybe they'll understand when I tell them I was not allowed to use my powers."

"I wasn't allowed to use my powers either." I countered, then pulled off the ring I wore to block my powers. "But if you'd like to try again, I'd be happy to whoop your steel butt again."

I stood right in front of him, drawing myself to my full height. I wasn't that big, only five feet three inches tall and my muscles were small and lean (though small, I was pretty strong). I know how silly I looked. We got a lot of teasing from our friends about how the "midget was dating a giant". Usually I didn't mind, but it was kind of hard to be taken seriously at times like this when he's so large.

"What if I told my friends that my girlfriend abuses me?" Peter asked.

Using my telepathic powers, I flew up to be eye level with Peter.

"You know you like my abuse." I said, kissing him passionately. Once I knew he was too involved in the kiss to notice, I dropped down and tripped him. Using my powers, I made mental ropes to bind his limbs to his side.

"Do you want to tell the guys that a 'little girl' beat you twice, or shall I?" I cooed.

Instead of getting mad (Peter hardly ever gets mad) he laughed. "Alright, alright, you're the winner. Will you let me go now?"

I smiled and released my mental binds. Just to make sure no feelings were hurt (and because I love doing so), I kissed Peter again softly. "Better?"

"Much. So do you wish to go get some breakfast now?" Peter asked.

I dipped down to grab my gym bag. "Love to, but I'm supposed to go to town with Logan."

Logan, Wolverine, had this reputation at the school of being a father figure to the girls who needed it. He's protective of them, offers them help, and takes them out to breakfast once in a while to let them get away. His girls are called part of his 'litter', because of his code name. For whatever reason, he decided that I was going to be under his protection. I don't mind.

I gave Peter a quick peck of a kiss before running out of the Danger Room, my gym bag banging against my side. I was already a little late for our breakfast date.

"Please stay? I'll let you abuse me some more!" Peter called.

I laughed and continued running.


End file.
